Days of Romance
by Rani07
Summary: A collection of stories centered on Shinichi and Ran - Day 20: Happy Seventeenth Birthday, Ran
1. The Desperate Return

_Hi peopless!!! Well.. I'm back writing fanfics, once again! It was to be expected though, I've been sick for a long time already, so I might as well do something constructive with the lethargy that I'm going through.. ó.o not that writing fanfics is too constructive! xDDD oh well! I hope you like this as much as I enjoyed writing it. This will be a collection of one-shots based on my favorite couple, Shinichi and Ran. I hope you find it in your interest! n.n _

_**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

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**Title:** _The Desperate Return _

_**Summary:** 'Shinichi... what have they done to you?' _

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It was a dark and gloomy day. The rain poured down harshly as Shinichi ran through the streets, squinting his eyes in order to facilitate his vision. He couldn't care less about the water or the frigidness of his body from the cold though; his mind was completely focused on reaching his destination. Teitan High School had to be about 6 minutes from where he was at the moment, so he kept on running, afraid that the smallest stop might change his future forever. Fear was freezing his heart to its very bottom, but he couldn't let that feeling detain him. His painful wounds didn't help the situation either, tempting him to give in to the deep tiredness that filled his insides, and just drop to his knees, falling unconscious on that very street. But he knew better than to give up. He couldn't and wouldn't stop now. Not even if his life actually depended on it.

He had been fighting the organization, along with the many police officers, friends, and acquaintances that had assisted him in the task. The smallest and newest members were the easiest to capture, taking the police a few minutes to arrest all of them. But the high-ranking men and women of the infamous organization had proven to be difficult to detain. They surely had made the whole operation much longer than originally expected; setting off explosives, shooting the police constantly, and setting up traps for their enemies being the main reasons for why everything had taken so long; but after a long night of continuous effort, the dismantling of the organization had been successful. The relief of accomplishment hadn't been too long-lasting for Shinichi though. After a few minutes of partial rest, he realized that Vermouth hadn't appeared at all. He looked through all of the police squad cars, asked all of the officials if they had seen her, but there was no sign of the woman. At that moment though, a breathless Heiji and Takagi approached him while holding a small piece of paper. Handing it to Shinichi since neither of them were in conditions of speaking after running so much, the young Kudou began to examine the small parchment, his eyes widening and face becoming as pale as the paper itself. Without another word, he dropped the paper on the muddy ground and began to run as fast as he could towards his school

_When the final day arrives, I shall reunite with the angel that looks over me. I'm sorry silver bullet... so terribly sorry.  
_

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_**Ran had never felt so lethargic in her whole life. Her teacher was currently giving an extremely dull lesson on Economics, and Ran could not help but let out a yawn every two minutes. The rain wasn't helping either. Watching it would always make her fantasize about returning to the warmth of her small bedroom, comfortably lie down on her cushiony bed, to slowly let the deep, peaceful, and relaxing sweetness of sleep overwhelm her as the cold rain continued to pour down in sheets, just outside her window...  
Hm, maybe it was better not to look outside the window then. She wouldn't want to fall asleep right in her classroom. 

The strong echo of running steps interrupted her thoughts though. It seemed that whoever was making that noise was in an incredible rush. The sound became louder and louder with every passing tenth of a second. Suddenly, the door to the classroom was violently opened, and Ran's mouth hung open as her eyes widened considerably.

A drenched, sweaty, blood-covered, and tired Shinichi was at the door. He was gasping for air from the long run that he had made, and looked as if he would collapse in any moment, but he still stood as firmly as he could, while his eyes searched for someone in particular. Ran quickly stood up and ran towards her friend; shock, concern, and astonishment being the main emotions that gave frantic jumps inside of her.

As soon as Shinichi saw her, a look of relief spread on his face. He felt her small hands hold his back and abdomen, giving him the support that he currently lacked. His last bits of energy slowly began to escape his muscles though, and his legs quickly weakened as his hurt body slowly slid towards the ground. Thankfully, Ran hadn't lost her grip on him, so she was able to help him sit on the cold floor, while she also sat on the ground next to him.

"Shinichi... " Ran whispered, her voice barely noticed by anyone in the room. She began to observe his features carefully, shocked by the state in which he was currently in. His pale face was covered in a mixture of rain and sweat, while a trail of warm blood ran from his eyebrow down to his jaw, and made a small, scarlet puddle on his shirt. His drenched clothes were clinging to his figure, and his entire body lay completely still from the great lack of energy that he was now experiencing. Ran's eyes drifted back to Shinichi's face. His dark sapphire eyes were extremely tired; she could tell that they wanted to close immediately, but Shinichi continued to keep them open. They were shining like never before, happiness and relief being the two overflowing emotions in them. His cheeks had a very faint flush, probably from all of the running that he had just done. His lips looked great... so rosy, and soft-looking, and wet, and... _oh god_..!

"Ran..."

Her super-wrong-hormonally-driven thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Shinichi's voice, making her blush madly. How could she be thinking those things? It always made her feel so guilty when she thought of Shinichi like that... It was just... so... w-wrong! _'Oh, c'mon Ran!! Here's Shinichi lying in front of you, looking worse than you have ever seen him in your life, and you start to fantasize about him! How can you be like that?!' _Despite her intense blushing, she tried to brush her thoughts aside.

"Shinichi... what happened to you? You look terrible..!"

Shinichi gave a small chuckle "Don't worry... It looks worse than it is." Pausing for a moment, he continued "I came over here to see if everything's okay.. nothing happened before I got here, right?"

"No... nothing happened... Why Shinichi? Is everything alright?" Asked a concerned Ran.

".. Y-yeah... yeah, everything's fine..."

"Shinichi..." warned Ran in a severe voice. She just _knew _he was keeping something!

"Ehh..." He knew she would ask sooner or later what exactly happened to him, or what was going on, but he really couldn't tell her yet! Vermouth was still to be captured! What if she did something to Ran for just _knowing _about his "case"? What if that woman, or maybe some other member of the organization that they hadn't captured, came and harmed her in any way? He would never be able to forgive himself! Not in this lifetime, nor in the next... But somehow.. somehow, he _could _figure out a way to let her know a little about what was going on, just so she wouldn't feel completely clueless, but at the same time, not inform her so much that she could be in danger. It wasn't impossible, actually...

"Well... it's just... That this is the case I always talked to you about, Ran." He said simply. Ran's expression changed into one of surprise, she obviously never quite believed that he had dedicated all of this time to just _one_ case.

"The case? This.. this is the case?"

"Yeah..."

"But... but you're wounded, Shinichi. There's blood on your face.. why?"

"T-that's because... Alright, this is the thing. This case... It's just.. a bit different than the other ones I've handled before... While I've usually known who the victim of a crime is, and I just have to figure out how the murder was committed, and who the murderer is... In this case.. well, I know who the murderer is, who the victim is, and I know of the crime that has been committed... The only thing I have to do is figure out just, _where_ the criminals are... I guess, that's.. well, more or less... what's been going on." Finished Shinichi a little awkwardly. He really didn't know what to say, but he guessed that was the closest to the reality of the situation though, so that was somewhat satisfying.

"You have to investigate where they are?"

"Yeah..."

"But if you know who they are, then you should be able to obtain their location immediately... right?"

"Well.. yes, but I only have most of their codenames, and not actual identities or anything... That's why it has taken so long... But last night, we were able to make some progress and managed to detain most of these criminals... I guess we now only have a couple of them left.." whispered Shinichi, he still wasn't able to breathe too well. Ran noticed this, so she stopped asking him about the case. She really didn't want his health to worsen by overworking his mind. Crouching a little so she could move from her spot, she sat a little closer to a Shinichi who now seemed to be a little worse than some moments ago. His eyes were tightly shut from an invisible pain that he was going through, and his body was shivering strongly from the cold water that saturated his clothes. Ran placed her arms around his body, embracing his figure while she gently pulled him towards her. She really wanted him to feel better, at least make him feel somewhat warmer! It really didn't matter if she was in her classroom, and everyone was watching.. and the whole.. school would.. soon f-find... out...

Ran's thoughts stopped. The mere realization of what she was doing, and of the many people that were now looking at the both of them, made her freeze completely. How could she forget her classmates? All of the students who were now watching silently, but that in 5 minutes would be screaming their heads off, telling the whole _world_ on just exactly _how _Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran had been embracing just so very lovingly! _'Ahhh...!!! Oh god, oh god, nooooo!'_ thought Ran desperately, blood rising to her head like a raging volcano, the nervousness in her body causing for her to put even _more _pressure into the embrace. She took a quick glance towards Shinichi, and once she did, her previous worries vanished into thin air.

His head was lying on top of her shoulder, while exhaustion began to take over his body. It was a very sad image for Ran. Her best friend, also love interest, completely vulnerable for the first time in his life, semi-conscious on her shoulder, drenched to the bone, and even bleeding._'Shinichi... what have they done to you?' _she thought as hot tears threatened to spill. Shinichi's eyes began to unlid at that moment, and as soon as he saw the warm tearmarks on her cheeks, his eyes opened up very widely.

"Ran.."

Before she could even respond, he gently cupped her face and carefully brushed her tears away, not wanting to see the beautiful, yet hurting crystal drops on her cheeks. Shinichi gazed deep into her eyes once again, and quickly mustering the smallest bits of energy left in his body, he closed the distance between them before anything else could change his mind. His mouth began to make contact with Ran's, not developing the kiss into anything passionate, just simply wanting to feel the softness of her lips against his. They spent a few moments like this, until Shinichi's lips slowly parted from Ran's while he reopened his eyes. Ran's eyes fluttered open a couple of seconds later, a deep blush of delight already spreading onto her cheeks.

"Shi-Shinichi..."

"Oh my gosh! Did you get that Sonoko-chan???" Asked excitedly one of the girls from the class.

"Yes!! You just have to see this picture Hikaru-chan, I got the magic of the kiss _perfectly_!" Responded Sonoko, showing all of the class the incredibly "magical" picture she had just taken.

Just as a beet, beet red Ran was close to screaming at Sonoko to stop and delete the so very embarrassing photograph, a team of paramedics suddenly rushed inside the classroom, making their way towards Shinichi and Ran.

"Alright, he's in here!"

"C'mon Kudo-san, let's take you to the hospital, you're not looking too good." Stated one of the paramedics while along with another man, both lifted the detective's weak body away from the ground, towards a gurney. Ran quickly got up and stood right next to Shinichi, wanting to accompany him to the hospital, but one of the men approached her before she could even open her mouth.

"I'm sorry miss, but you cannot come into the ambulance with the patient" said the man flatly, leaving no room for a discussion.

"Where are those police officers that called for an ambulance, anyway?" Asked one of the paramedics who was quickly filling out some paperwork.

"The FBI people? I believe they were making some arrests on the back of this building.. they called when they saw this boy run inside the school... at least that's what that Starling-san said, and she was the one who made the call..."

Ran focused her attention on Shinichi once again, directing her eyes towards his figure, and was surprised when she saw him smiling at her so very sweetly. His expression was one of fatigue, yet also one of pure felicity and peacefulness. He extended his fingers towards her direction, and noticing this, Ran quickly entwined her fingers with his while a content smile spread on both of their faces.

"I'll meet you in the hospital, okay? I'll be waiting for you..." whispered Ran, giving him a warm smile.

Shinichi smiled softly and nodded, while he gave Ran's hand a gentle squeeze before letting the long desired deep slumber overwhelm his senses.

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**There goes the first day of romance! I don't know how many there will be yet, but we'll see. n.n_

_Now that I've done my part, I ask you to... Please! Send a review! n.n It's just a button away... see? see? It's right down there, now move the mouse a little bit... ahhh there you go! Nice, very nice.. now click on it! C'mon buddy.. don't be shy..! n,n_

_O.OU_

_Ja ne!!_


	2. Psychological Games

_Heeeellooo peoples! 2nd chapter's up! n.n This one-shot in particular took me some time to write, though... It must be because of the large amounts of dialogue that take place in the story, and I'm not used to writing so much chat... But no worries! Nothing is written pointlessly; all of the things that appear in this chapter have a meaning behind them. By the way, I highly recommend that when you read about the different objects that Shinichi "encounters," that you pay close attention to the way he describes the object's appearance, and also, try to visualize his words! You will see what I'm talking about later! Now, without further ado, here's Psychological Games!_

_**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

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**Title:**_ Psychological Games_

**Summary:**_ "What do you do with the key?" "... I place it, carefully, inside the crystal cup..."_

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"Well, we have finished! Oh, and aren't you happy? We still have 15 minutes left before you're dismissed, so you get to have some free time!" Exclaimed their language arts teacher, Nakamura-sensei, with much enthusiasm. 

The whole class let out a big sigh of relief. That day had proven to be so _long_! Pretty much all of their teachers had, for some horrible and unfortunate reason, decided to give them one difficult lesson after another. Thankfully though, the school day was finally over.

Some students began to chat at that moment, but after a couple of minutes, one particular conversation stood out from the rest.

"C'mon.. what do you REALLY think of Mouri-san, eh Kudou? We all know that you like her" said one of the boys teasingly.

"When are you gonna ask her out already? I wanna get a woman too you know, and I can't do that if all of the girls are after you!"

"C'mon Kudou! Spill the beans!!"

"I told you already! We're friends, ok? Friends!" Said Shinichi while he slammed his hands on his desk. A very nice shade of crimson was already covering his cheeks though, which (unfortunately for him) was not helping matters either.

"But Kudou-kun, let's be honest! There are obvious signs that you and Ran-chan are more than friends! For example: you two have known each other forever, you've been best friends all of this time, you spend time together everyday, you've even gone on dates, and neither of you have ever had a boyfriend or a girlfriend in your entire lives! I don't know.. to me, it's as clear as water." Accused one of the girls in the classroom, while the whole class began to clap in excitement at the truthful words of the girl, clearly assuring her 'victory.'

By now, Shinichi and Ran were flushing as if the temperature were 140 degrees Fahrenheit; and they couldn't even say anything to defend themselves! Naoko-chan had spoken the truth, after all... even if the way she had said it, had been extremely embarrassing for the both of them.

"Alright, alright! That's enough class" said Nakamura as she tried to calm down her students. "Here! I have an idea.. let's play a game so you can concentrate on something _other_ than making fun of your classmates, how about that, hmm?" Suggested the woman.

Some students began to groan in disapproval, afraid of the game their teacher would suggest to play, while others looked mildly interested.

"What type of game, Nakamura-sensei?" Asked one of the girls curiously.

"Well, actually, it's not much of a game... but it can be very entertaining, especially for people of your age. And we could actually do it to a couple of students, if we have the time." Said Nakamura thoughtfully, with her index finger on her chin.

"What's the game's name already?" Asked one of the guys in the classroom.

"Uh.. well, it doesn't really have a name!" Everyone in the class suddenly had a huge sweat drop on the back of their heads. "It's a psychological test! I got it from the Psychology book I'm currently reading... Now, don't worry, it's not like a real test where you have to chose between A, B, C or D, and there are no wrong answers. The purpose of the test is to determine what someone's personality, values, and past are really like... I actually did this test to my brother some time ago, and it ended up being really fun!" Finished Nakamura-sensei excitedly.

The students looked at each other eagerly.

"A psychology test?"

"How long is it?"

"Umm.. well, we have to test one person at a time, and it should take about aahh... 10 minutes, at most. So I guess, if we go fast we could do two people.. hmmm.." Nakamura began to quickly calculate their time left. "Nah, forget it.. I'm sorry, it'll just have to be one person. We won't have enough time for two... So I think that, just to make it worthwhile, everybody should vote on a particular student whom you'd like to hear from."

"What did you say the test's purpose was?" Asked one of the students with a mischievous smile.

"It's a good way to determine a person's ideals, opinions, and values. It also gives you a vague idea of the person's past."

The aforementioned young man slowly turned around to look at Shinichi. Suddenly the rest of the students in the class followed suit, while a playful, but evil glimmer, reached their eyes.

Shinichi started to get nervous, clearly anticipating what his classmates would say. He looked at Ran imploringly, as if begging for help, even though he knew that nothing would ever get him out of that nasty situation.

"Kudou! Kudou should do it!" Exclaimed one of Shinichi's friends.

"Please choose Kudou-kun! Kudou-kun!"

Now, the whole class was already begging the teacher to pick the poor, poor, not-so-fortunate Kudou Shinichi for the test, while the young man tried to make his classmates change their minds, with the help of his childhood friend.

"Ran! What are you doing?" Whispered Sonoko to her female friend, a clueless look on her face.

"What do you think I'm doing, Sonoko? Shinichi obviously doesn't want to take the test, and honestly, I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to take a psychology test in front of the whole class either.." Responded Ran, while she looked at Shinichi sympathetically.

"But this might be your chance Ran!" Whispered Sonoko in an excited manner.

"Chance..?"

"This psychology test shows someone's real opinion and values! What if sensei asks Shinichi-kun something that he would never, ever say, and he just responds instinctively? This is our chance to know what he really believes, Ran!!" Finished Sonoko, pure enthusiasm visible in her face.

"But some questions can be so private, Sonoko..." Said Ran doubtingly.

"Oh c'mon, Ran! Nakamura-sensei is going to test someone _anyway_, so we might as well use this opportunity wisely!"

Meanwhile, Nakamura, somewhat astonished by the students' persistence, spoke up. "You'd like Kudou-kun to take the test?"

Expressions and words of affirmation resounded in the classroom.

"Kudou-kun... would _you_ like to take the test for us?" Asked Nakamura with a small smile.

"Uhh..." Shinichi had felt like screaming 'No!' a few moments ago, but now he was beginning to have second thoughts. Surely the test wouldn't be _so_ bad... right..?

"Don't worry about it! It's actually pretty fun.. you get to learn things about you that _you_ probably didn't even know!" Said the teacher with a reassuring smile.

"... ... Alright. I'll do it.." said Shinichi hopelessly. He didn't really have another choice, now did he? His classmates would never stop bothering him if he declined the offer.

"Ok, wonderful! Here's how it works... This test is actually somewhat like a story. I tell you what happens in the story, and you tell me how you imagine everything. That's all there is to it... Still, if you're a little confused on something, don't worry about it.. everything will become clearer once we begin... So, are you ready?" Asked Nakamura-sensei as she grabbed a book from her desk, turning the pages to the section which contained the test, to later look at him expectantly.

Shinichi filled up his lungs with as much air as humanly possible, and then exhaled all of the oxygen completely, mentally preparing himself for the test. The whole class was now looking at him with great excitement.

"Yes" said Shinichi in a very masculine and determined tone. Ran blushed from looking at him. He seemed so serious!

"Alright. I'd like you to close your eyes, so it is easier for you to imagine everything. I will be writing down your responses during the test, ok?"

Shinichi nodded slightly and glanced at Ran, who was giving him a supportive smile, before closing his eyes completely. The sounds in the classroom now seemed to be much louder to his ears, and the previously seen colors in the room, were now slowly fading away, turning into complete darkness. The teacher's normally authoritative voice, was now considerably softer, and she spoke soothingly in order to let him relax a little, as well as assist his concentration.

"Very well Kudou-kun... you are walking down a road.. or a path, for that matter.. tell me, what does the road look like?" She asked softly. If the classroom had been a little louder, her voice would've been completely lost.

"Uhmm... well.. it's a very straight road.. it's made out of dirt, and it has some red leaves here and there, and even some flower petals.." he said, furrowing his brow while he tried to describe every detail.

"Do you like the red leaves..?" Asked the teacher curiously.

"Uh.. well, yeah.. they make the road a lot nicer.." he said, blushing. He felt so stupid for imagining these, what he would label as 'stupidities', in the class.

"And tell me, is it daylight, nightfall, afternoon..?" Asked the teacher, while she wrote down his responses on the blackboard.

"It's daylight..." Responded Shinichi.

".. Alright... So you're walking down a dirt road, covered in leaves and petals, in the middle of the day... you continue to walk for a while, until you encounter a forest. Tell me, what does the forest look like?"

"... Mmm.. it's a nice forest.. there are tall and wide trees everywhere. Most of them have blossoms, but not all of them.."

"Does the forest scare you in any way?"

"No.. not really. It's still daylight, and it looks safe to walk there." Said Shinichi decisively.

"Okay... so you continue to walk down the road, which has now led you into a forest... you walk for some time, when suddenly, you encounter a cup, goblet, glass... whichever you'd like to call it... What does this cup look like, Kudou-kun?" Asked Nakamura-sensei, with the piece of chalk in her hands, ready to write down his response.

"... It's a transparent cup.. it seems it's made out of crystal, and it looks very delicate... Although.. when you come up close to it.. you realize it's strong and hard to break. But from far away, it seems fragile.." said Shinichi, intensely concentrated on the images he was seeing. Ran looked at him a little curiously, trying to imagine herself, his description of the cup.

"Hmm! Reaally... well, that's interesting..." Whispered Nakamura, more to herself than the rest of the class.

"What's interesting?" Curiously asked Shinichi, while he reopened his eyes. The rest of the class also seemed to be waiting for her explanation.

"Oh, heh.. nothing! You'll see later! Now close your eyes again, we're not done Kudou-kun!" Said the smiling teacher, while her hands made a small shake, as to indicate they weren't finished with the test.

Shinichi groaned in disapproval, but still closed his eyes once again, wanting to get the test over with.

"So you said.. this cup.. it's made out of crystal, and it looks strong... can you tell me anything else about it?" Continued Nakamura-sensei.

"Mmm.. well, it does have some type of glow to it, I guess..."

"What do you do with it?"

".. I take it with me.."

The sound of chalk brushing against the board was heard at that moment, while she continued to speak. "So you take the crystal cup with you... and you later continue to walk down the road... you're walking and walking, until you see a key... what does the key look like?" At that moment, she stopped writing.

"... It's an old key.. very old, like the kind which are used to open up old doors, or the such..." At this, the students looked at each other curiously, trying to figure out just what all of these objects had to do with the story anyway..!

"And it has a few scratches here and there... but very few.. and they're not profound... it's in great condition for an old key, actually.."

At this, Nakamura-sensei smiled knowingly, while she continued to write on the board. "What do you do with the key?"

"... ... I place it, carefully, inside the crystal cup... since it's a pretty nice key and there's really nothing wrong with it ..." Suddenly, Shinichi heard the sound of chalk falling on the ground. He opened one of his eyes, just to take a peek at the classroom, and saw his teacher, completely gaping at him. A look of pure astonishment on her face.

"What??" Asked Shinichi, now both of his eyes open, slightly worried that he might have said something wrong.

The teacher began to grin a little and snickered. "Heheh... Nothing! Nothing at all Kudou-kun!" But now her eyes were shining with joy, while her face continued to stare at the boy in a dumbstruck manner.

"What did Kudou say? What did he just say?" Began to ask some of the students with renewed childish curiosity.

"Oh, you'll see later! Now quiet down a little, we're not done yet..." Informed the teacher.

Shinichi was not liking this one bit, and the worst thing about it, was that he didn't even know what he was saying! Sure, he was describing what he was seeing, but since this was a psychology test, these stories usually meant something. And this time, he had no idea of the meaning of these weird forests, and cups, and keys, and... Ughh... it was so frustrating not to _know_!

"Okay now, don't worry, Kudou-kun... we're half way done already!" Said Nakamura enthusiastically.

"Half way?? ONLY halfway??" Asked an incredulous Shinichi.

The class started to snicker at Shinichi's mild desperation.

"C'mon Shinichi.. the sooner you continue, the sooner you'll be done!" Suggested Ran encouragingly.

Shinichi grunted again, but closed his eyes, following his friend's advice.

"So you put the key inside the cup.. and you continue to walk down the road... you're walking for a while, until you see a chest. What does the chest look like?" Asked Nakamura-sensei, once again ready to write on the board.

"... It's an old chest.. it pretty much looks like an antique... it's made out of mahogany and it has white gold adornments on it.." said Shinichi, matter-of-factly.

"Hmm! Well, you open the chest now... what's in the inside?"

"... .. Papers.. like old documents... and books" responded Shinichi.

"Papers a-and.. books??" Asked the woman, astonished for the second time.

"Yeah" he answered promptly, trying not to ponder over the meaning of all these objects. Doing so would just frustrate him even more.

"O-okay... well, so what do you do with the chest?" Continued the language arts teacher.

".. I grab the papers, and a couple of books, but I leave the things I can't carry, inside the chest." Said Shinichi in a determined tone of voice.

"Alright.. so you continue to walk down the dirt road... but now you encounter a wall... what does this wall look like to you, Kudou-kun?"

".. It's pretty big.. but it looks like it's part of the forest... I mean, there are roots and plants all over it, like a bindweed..."

"Wow... And what do you do?" Asked the woman very curiously.

"Since the wall's somewhat.. like a creeping plant, its varying shape allows me to climb over it.."

"And what happens after you climb the wall?"

"... Nothing... everything's the same.. there's nothing different about the forest." _'When is this going to end??' _Thought Shinichi impatiently. He wanted to know what all of this meant already!

"Okay.. so you continue to walk down the road for some time, when suddenly, you see a lake... what does this lake look like?" Asked Nakamura-sensei with a piece of chalk in her hands, once again ready to write down his response.

"... ... It's a really nice lake... the water is very blue... and there are leaves, and waterlilies, and some other flowers on the lake as well..." Said the young man, while a relaxed expression reached his face.

A smile found its way to Nakamura's face, intrigued by the way he'd respond the next question. So far, his answers had been incredibly...well, Kudo Shinichi-like... "Now, you realize that somehow, you have to get to the other side of the lake... what do you do?"

Shinichi stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, thinking about exactly what to do... "I look at the water carefully for a while... see if there's anything dangerous about it... ..." Slowly though, a look of calmness spread to his face. "But I see that there's nothing wrong with it, and that it's actually pretty safe.. so I get into the lake and swim across it." Finished Shinichi with determination.

"Okay Kudou-kun... you can open up your eyes now.. we're done!" Happily exclaimed the teacher, while the young man opened his eyes, not before squinting a couple of times from the sudden brightness.

"Answers! Read the answers Nakamura-sensei!" Exclaimed a couple of students, eager to learn some "juicy" fact about their classmate.

Shinichi looked at Ran once again, his right hand running through his hair in a frustrated demeanor; his expression made her laugh internally, though she dedicated a warm smile instead, and patted his back in sincere congratulations.

"Okay!! Who's ready to hear the meaning behind this test?" Asked the woman as all of the students readied themselves for what was coming up. They could see that she had written the different objects that had appeared during the story on the blackboard, as well as Shinichi's responses underneath; everything neatly separated.

"Let's begin with the first symbol: The path. This one in particular, is pretty literal. It indicates the way your lifestyle has been, and will be like. Yours Kudou-kun, was a straight path, telling us that it doesn't have any big problems or oddities. It's a dirt road, which shows that your life will be pretty much traditional, and the road was even covered in flowers and beautiful leaves, showing the pleasures and good things that you will experience throughout your future."

The whole class was now pretty surprised by all of the information that one simple object was giving, while Shinichi had a look of complete indifference. He had never really believed in these things. Still, extremely curious as to find out what the other objects meant, everyone stayed relatively quiet, waiting for Nakamura to continue.

"The next symbol that we have is the forest. The forest represents your past, your childhood... The forest that you saw Kudou-kun, was filled with tall and wide trees, which even had blossoms in them. The trees represent your relationship with your family, during your childhood. The bigger and more beautiful the tree is, the happier and stronger your family is. You said that you were walking in the forest during the day, and that you weren't afraid. The meaning of these things is pretty literal: .. You aren't tormented by your past." Said Nakamura-sensei matter-of-factly, with a warm smile on her face. She just loved the way this particular test had turned out to be!

The class continued to be speechless; partially because they were trying to register all of the information that was being given, but also because Shinichi's responses were looking great so far.

"Let's continue with the next symbol.." said Nakamura, pointing towards the area in the board where the next object and response were scribbled. "The cup. The cup represents the love in your future." By now the whole class was grinning at a blushing Shinichi, who tried his hardest not to look at anyone.. most _especially_ his childhood friend.

"You described the cup as being transparent, made out of crystal, and you said that it even had a _glow_ to it. This shows that to you, love is something pure and beautiful. Now, I must say, what struck me the most Kudou-kun..." And now Shinichi raised his gaze to his teacher. ".. was that you said, that the cup looked very fragile from afar.. but"

"But it was strong and resistant when looked at closely.." finished Shinichi in an embarrassed manner, but still very determined.

"Yes... It's quite an answer! I had never heard of that one before... But anyways, it all means that even though the love in your life might look fragile and easily breakable to someone from afar, the people who are near you and are able to see your relationship from a close perspective, will realize that your relationship is actually very strong and long-lasting. I might also add, that you said you had not left the cup in the ground, and had actually taken it with you. This means that in life, love will be very important to you." Said Nakamura in a sweet tone of voice.

Ran smiled at the teacher's words, while all of the girls in the classroom were looking at Shinichi dreamily. And meanwhile, the young Kudou felt like disappearing into mid air. This test was proving to be so embarrassing! Why did there just _have_ to be a symbol for love?

"The next object that you encountered.." continued the teacher, trying to distract the girls from a very embarrassed Shinichi.. " was the key. Now, the key represents friendship." At that moment, Shinichi and Ran quickly glanced at each other while small smiles made their way to their lips.

"You described the key as being old, and it had a few scratches, but they weren't deep. This means that your friendships last for many years, and that there aren't really any serious problems between you and your friends. You also said, if I recall correctly, that the key was in great condition for its age, meaning that your friendships might last for ages, but they're still as good and healthy as ever." Said the woman while she looked at both Shinichi and Ran. "Now I have to say this, because it struck me so hard that.. well, I dropped the chalk, you heard it!" She said laughing, while the students, remembering the incident, became very curious as to what she was going to say next.

"When I asked you Kudou-kun... what you would do with the key..." Now Shinichi, remembering what he had said, acquired a very dark shade of crimson on his cheeks, and nervousness began to fill his senses. _'Oh please, please! Don't say it!!!! RAN is in here! I don't want her to.. aghhh!!! Nononono..!'_ "You said that since the key was in good shape, and there wasn't anything wrong with it.." _'STOP!! Please! Noo!'_ ".. You decided to place the key _inside_ the crystal cup.. ... ... Such an answer, obviously means... Well, that if you have a strong and long-lasting friendship, then you don't mind taking that relationship to the next step. Towards love.." finished Nakamura-sensei, while looking from Shinichi's face, to Ran's, trying to see any possible reaction, but so far it had only been incredibly deep blushing. Other than that, there had been no words. No stammering, or long denials. Nothing. The only reactions had been the completely dumbstruck expressions from two beet red teenagers.

A strong silence filled the classroom as the students just stared, with their mouths wide open, at both Shinichi and Ran. They couldn't believe what they had heard! The test, in one way or another, had proven that Kudou Shinichi would be willing to further his relationship with his childhood friend. Everybody had always known that, but now, they had proof! They had evidence of Shinichi's feelings, and people knew, that if you wanted to argue about something with Kudou Shinichi, then you _had_ to have some type of hard evidence to show that what you claimed, was correct.

The young men and women in the classroom began to cheer loudly and do little victory dances, but Nakamura spoke once again to interrupt the renewed chaos.

"Alright, alright! That's enough.. we aren't done yet!" Said the woman in an attempt to quiet down the situation.

"Ne, be quiet! Maybe we'll find out something else from the other symbols!" Said one of the girls in the classroom.

"Ah! That's true! There are still other objects left..."

"NO!!" Exclaimed Shinichi, scared out of his wits for what other things the teacher might reveal.

"Don't worry, Kudou-kun... The symbols that we have left aren't embarrassing!" Said his teacher reassuringly.

Shinichi was still extremely red from the embarrassment of the previous symbol. He wanted anything BUT to have another stupid object reveal any other _crucial_ piece of information. The last thing he needed, was to have the whole class know something about him that he'd rather not announce. Like his feelings, for example. Glancing at Ran, who sat beside him, he realized that she was probably as shocked and embarrassed as he was. Unfortunately for Shinichi, Ran decided to look at him at that moment, and their eyes made contact for the smallest second, before they turned their blushing faces, once again, to completely opposite directions.

"Well.. let's continue with the next symbol.. it won't be anything embarrassing, Kudou-kun, I promise." Nakamura-sensei looked at the board once again, to read the next object as well as Shinichi's response. "The next thing that you encountered, was the chest... The chest represents money... You described the chest as being made of mahogany with.. was it silver..?"

"White gold.." Corrected Shinichi.

"White gold adornments... Obviously, this shows that money will not be a problem in your life. Mahogany is a very expensive type of wood, and white gold.. well, it's white gold! No need to explain that one..." Finished the teacher in a humorous tone. ".. the next thing I asked you to do, though, was to open the chest. Now, what's _inside_ the chest, represents what you value in life... I must say, Kudou-kun.. I have never, _ever, _heard someone say that they had found old documents and... books! ... It's.. quite a strange answer.. I don't.. really know what to make out of it.." She placed her hands on her hips and stared towards nowhere in particular, with a blank and awestruck expression. _'Documents and books..? What could that possibly mean?'_

"Maybe it means that he values history.. and literature." Suggested one of the students.

"Or maybe it means that he values things of importance..?" Said another.

The whole classroom became silent for a couple of seconds, trying to decipher the meaning of Shinichi's response.

"Alright! Next symbol!" Continued the teacher a little nervously, dismissing the attempts to figure out the significance of the last object.

"The following symbol was the wall.. the wall represents your perspective of death. Kudou-kun, I was extremely surprised when you said that the wall seemed to be part of the forest. And that it even had roots and plants all over it. This clearly shows that to you, Kudou-san, death is just part of life itself. There's nothing scary or striking about it. It's pretty much.. part of the 'forest.' I have to tell you, the reason why I think your answer was so unique, is because people usually tend to imagine the wall as something colossal and even threatening. And they sometimes say that they can't climb over it, that they're scared of what exactly is on the other side, or that they really don't want to cross that 'boundary.' At the same time, I shouldn't be so surprised about your response... You're particularly a very down-to-earth young man, and you are, afterall, exposed to death on a daily basis..." Said Nakamura matter-of-factly, although a slight tone of disapproval sounded in her voice at the words of "death on a daily basis." Was it right for a young boy to be exposed to murders all of the time, during the whole day, _every_ day? Surely, such a routine couldn't be healthy.. _'Oh well.. there's not much you can do about it anyway.'_ Thought the woman helplessly.

"So anyways.. as I was saying.. you still climbed over the wall very casually and went to the other side, showing that death is.. well, at least, not something that is really troubling you." Finished Nakamura as she looked back at the blackboard, reading the last object's corresponding answer. "... O-oh.. . shoot.." Said the teacher just a tiiiiiny bit too nervously.

"What happened?" Asked Ran curiously, while she looked at a Shinichi who was just as clueless as she was.

"Ehhh... Well... there.. actually might be just.. one _tiny_ piece of.. w-well.. _embarrassing_.. information left in this test. Although! It's not bad at all! Your answer was.. well, a _very _good one! ... A _really good one_, actually.. I tell you, at least 1,000 more fans will add themselves onto your fan club if they know what you said in here.." said the woman, quite sure of her words.

"Wait! Wait, don't say what it means! Don't say it yet!" Exclaimed Shinichi desperately, as he got up from his seat to move towards the teacher's desk. He did NOT want his classmates to know _any_ other piece of embarrassing information. But just as he stood up, one of his overly curious friends, had already made a dash towards Nakamura, snatched the book away from her hands, and begun to read aloud.

"In psychological tests relevant to the area of basic human instinct, the appearance of the lake usually symbolizes.. s-sex?" The book was once again retrieved by the unusually blushing teacher. "I did say that it was embarrassing, Watanabe-san... why did you read it to the class?" She asked while she gave the young man a stern look, but that certainly wasn't worrying the student. He was basically staring at nowhere in particular, mouth wide open, registering what he had read. His classmates were certainly following his example. And.. well, Shinichi was not even blushing. His face became as pale as a sheet of paper, horror filling inside of him from the certainly-to-be-expected-terrible-upcoming-explanation-of-doom from his teacher.

"Uhmm.. well... Watanabe-kun said it! Yes.. the lake represents the.. ahem... s-sexual part of.. your life, Kudou-kun." Continued Nakamura-sensei.

"Wait, what exactly does Kudou's response mean?" Asked one of the guys in the classroom.

"N-NO! DON-mmnn!!" A blushing Sonoko had quickly covered Shinichi's mouth with both of her hands, while she stared at the teacher with a bright smile. "What does his response mean, sensei???"

"Uhmm.. well.. I don't know if I should..." Whispered the teacher a little unsurely.

"C'mon Nakamura-sensei! You already told us what the lake means, so you might as well analyze his answer!" Said another girl in the class.

"Nnnnmm!!!!!" Shinichi was growing desperate by now, but he had Sonoko's hands covering his mouth, and two other guys holding him down. It seemed that stopping the teacher's words this time, would be something very difficult to achieve.

"Okay... well! ..Alright..." Nakamura looked back at the board, and began to read his response. "Kudou-kun said that the lake was very pretty, had leaves on it, and even some flowers... This shows that you think of sex, as something nice, and even beautiful, Kudou-kun..." The language arts teacher was now smiling at him very sweetly. Not too many men these days, thought of sex in such an innocent manner.

Shinichi could feel large amounts of blood, continuously rising to his face. How he desperately wished to just.. disappear from the current situation! It was all too embarrassing! _'Besides.. how am I going to look at Ran after all of this? She knows, by now, too much... Way TOO much!!'_

"Finally, the last thing I asked you to do, was to tell me how you were going to get to the other side of the lake. Your response to this question, would represent how willing you'd be to involve yourself in a sexual relationship... And thankfully, that there _are_ some men left in this world who don't just give in so easily! ..You said that you stared at the lake for a while, trying to see if there was anything dangerous, or harmful about it.. but that after some time, you realized that it seemed safe to go in, and you actually went in and swam across the lake... This shows that you are very careful at the moment of becoming involved with someone in a sexual nature. You make sure that there's nothing wrong about what you're doing, and if you think that everything is okay, then you are willing to give in.." Finished Nakamura, with a big smile drawn on her face. How happy his answers made her! They were practically.. perfect responses!

Suddenly, all of the girls in the class began to squeal and coo in delight from hearing the teacher's words, while the guys looked at Shinichi with visible surprise. They definitely had never seen _that_ one coming!

Meanwhile, Sonoko took her hands away from Shinichi's face, no longer needing to stop him from doing anything. As soon as she did that, she had expected for the detective to begin screaming at her for covering his mouth, or yell at the guys who had been holding him down. But no. He didn't do anything. He continued to sit on his chair, with the reddest face she had _ever_ seen, and stared at his desk; the patterns on the wood suddenly becoming very interesting to the young Kudo.

Sonoko looked back at Ran, trying to see if her friend had, at least, a little more "normal" reaction than the aforementioned young man, but to her surprise, she was as flushed and speechless as he was.

_'Shinichi...'_ Thought Ran, blushing while she looked at her childhood friend. The newly acquired information had surprised her to no end. From the teacher's explanation about the crystal cup, to the key _inside_ the cup.. and even the beautiful lake. Never would she have guessed that Shinichi, deep down, could be that... romantic.

_'He was careful..'_ Thought Ran, remembering the teacher's last words. _'He stared into the water for a while... and didn't immediately go in... but eventually... eventually..'_ Suddenly, an even deeper shade of crimson covered her cheeks.

_'Well... that is good to know...'_

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_Well everybody, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! I still can't believe that there wasn't one tiny kiss between our couple! T-T  
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Hehe.. can you tell I'm really addicted to fluff?? xDD_

_Anyways,__ I'd like to thank my last story's reviewers! Their opinions helped this so-called writer renew her inspiration to write another day of romance.. n.n_

_Ja ne!!! _


	3. Influenza

_Hello my readers! Well, the wait for this chapter was definitely longer, but hopefully it'll be up to expectations.. :D I don't know what inspired me to write this... There's something about being sick and having someone taking care of you, that I just find absolutely adorable..n//n ... hehe, maybe that was my inspiration..? n.nUUUU Anyways, let's cut the chatter... well, more like monologue.. lol _

_Read and Review! n.n_

_**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

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**Title:** Influenza 

**Summary:**_ All things have a good side to them... even an illness_

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"Ahh.. whatta beautiful day!" Exclaimed a green-eyed sixteen year old girl, while she reclined on her chair. Her brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, as usual, and she was only dressed in a simple bikini.

"Yeah... The weather hadn't been this nice in Beika for a long time! It's great that you and Hattori-kun decided to come this weekend!" Commented Sonoko, also dressed in a bathing suit, although hers was considerably much more flashy.

"I know, I'm really happy that we got to come to Tokyo. Heiji was actually the one who suggested comin' here, of course, so he could solve a mystery with Kudou-kun... But I figured that if he was visitin' his friend, then I should use the opportunity to visit my own friends! So here I am." Kazuha smiled joyously at the two girls who were with her.

"But there's definitely something wrong with the picture."

"Somethin' wrong? What's wrong?" Asked Kazuha, a clueless look on her face.

"That we are three gorgeous, intelligent, sexy, and _single_ beauties, and there are absolutely NO men around.."

_'Hehe.. I should've seen this comin'...'_ Thought Kazuha with a funny look. "But we're in your house, Sonoko-chan... I don't think there'll be many men out here... And not only that, but only you and I are single. Ran-chan has a boyfriend now, dontcha, Ran-chan?" The two girls grinned at their companion, while the faintest blushes reached their cheeks.

"...Huh? Did you say something, Kazuha-chan?" Asked a disoriented Ran, the mentioning of her name bringing her back to Earth.

"..Ran, are you alright? You've been daydreaming all day long... Are you still feeling sick?" Asked a concerned Sonoko.

"Oh, noo, I'm fine! I've been feeling a lot better today." Said Ran, smiling reassuringly.

"Ohhh, that's right.. Shinichi-kun went over to your house yesterday to take care of you! ...Surely, his undying love for you healed all of your immune system, ne?"

"Sonoko! ...Stop it..." Ran looked away from her friends, not wanting them to see her bright red cheeks, although such action didn't stop the girls from giggling madly.

"No, but really! What happened yesterday? You weren't feeling well at all, at school..."

"Oh, nothing...You know that I've been sick for a couple of days already, and yesterday, I just got a little worse.. that's all. But I took some medicine when I was at home, so I'm feeling all better today!"

Sonoko still seemed skeptical about the situation though. "...Why am I getting the feeling that you are not telling us everything, Ran?"

"W-what do you mean, Sonoko?" Responded Ran, laughing nervously.

"I know that you weren't feeling well in school, but you improved greatly since yesterday afternoon. Well, that is, if you don't count the number of times you've been staring at that wall or your chair.." Said Sonoko, while her eyes turned into small dots. "But other than that, not only do you look better today, but you've been smiling and blushing all day long.."

"And I _highly_ doubt that's because of the incredible fun of sunbathing..." Said Kazuha smiling slyly.

"And I don't know, but I keep on getting this weird feeling like Shinichi-kun has _something_ to do with this story.. probably because of your constant blushing..?" Both Sonoko and Kazuha nodded in agreement.

_'Since when did those two become so observant?'_ Thought Ran with a sweat drop; her surprise did not last for too long though, for her thoughts had quickly returned to the events of the day before. The day that had begun and progressed so dully.. but in the end... _'Why didn't I tell them about what happened, already..? ... Hm... maybe I __have been too out of it this afternoon..'_

"Okay.. well... you want to know how I got better, or what happened yesterday altogether?"

"Altogether!" Said the two girls excitedly. There was something about Ran's fiery cheeks that intrigued them; or maybe it was the small smile that would always appear on her lips as she stared into space. Either way, both girls were dying to know what was causing their friend's peculiar behavior.

"Okay..." Ran's cheeks turned even redder, if possible, as she readied herself for the upcoming narrative. "I should probably begin with our walk home..."

::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::

It was a Friday afternoon. Dark, fluffy, and threatening clouds covered the purplish skies, as two teenagers walked through the streets of Beika. The male among the two young adults would occasionally look at his female companion, a look of deep concern on his facial features. The young woman though, distracted by her worsening headache and constant nausea, didn't seem to notice the boy's staring.

"Ran.. are you okay?" Asked Shinichi worriedly just as Ran stopped walking. Her eyes were shut in discomfort and she had one of her hands tightly pressing her mouth, trying to stop whatever was threatening to travel up her throat. After a few seconds though, the feeling of nausea slightly went away, as she reopened her watery eyes.

"Ran..." Whispered Shinichi quietly as he placed one of his arms around her small figure. "... C'mon.. we're almost there... your house is only a couple of blocks away, there's not that much walking left... unless, you want me to carry you..?"

Ran giggled weakly. "No, it's alright... It's just two more blocks... just.. stay kind of close, okay? I don't feel like falling right on my face in the street.." Whispered the girl with a humorous smile.

Shinichi grinned at her. "Of course. Don't worry..." He gently grabbed Ran's book bag from her hands, and let one of its straps hang from his right shoulder. Tightening his hold on her waist, while she ran her hand across his back as well, both young adults continued to walk, slowly but surely, towards the Mouri Detective Agency.

::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-_A Few Minutes Later_-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::

The sound of keys was suddenly heard at the door, followed by some rustling and muffled voices. After a few seconds had passed, Shinichi and Ran stepped inside the quiet apartment.

"'Tousan?" Ran called out. She was feeling worse than ever, so her voice had sounded more like a whisper than a yell.

"His shoes are gone... he probably went out for a drink with his friends.. or to play some Mahjong..." Said Shinichi, snickering knowingly.

"Look, he left a note.." Remarked the girl, while she unsteadily made her way to the kitchen table. " 'Ran, I'll be meeting up with some old high school friends tonight. Don't wait for me. And DON'T stay up with that detective-wannabe boyfriend of yours until too late. Meitantei Mouri..' "

"Heh, told you! ...Wait.. did he say 'detective wannabe'..?" Shinichi's face began to contort in annoyance. _'Geez.. now that's ironic! Occhan calling __me a detective wannabe... what is the world coming to?'_

"Well.. at least he.. accepts you're.. my boyfriend.." Whispered Ran in between short breaths; she was beginning to have difficulty breathing. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by a certain detective.

"Ran..? Are you alright? Do you want to lie down?" Asked Shinichi worriedly, as he held the girl closely. Her cheeks were flushed; probably from the fever she was currently having.

_'Shinichi...'_ Ran looked at the young man in front of her, who was now embracing her figure. His face looked deeply concerned as his eyes penetrated into her own orbs, examining her with more intensity than she ever thought possible. Suddenly, she found herself desperately wishing to speak... answer his question.. say anything at all! But her vocal chords didn't seem to catch the message. Shinichi's sapphire blue eyes seemed to hypnotize her whole body, and unfortunately for her, not only was she unable to break the eye contact, but also paralyzed from head to toe.

_'How in the world do you do that to me?'_

Before she could express any of her thoughts to him, or even respond to his previous questions, Shinichi had already taken action and gently lifted Ran's body, carrying her bridal style. To his surprise, and satisfaction, Ran did not protest at all and instead placed her arms around him while she nuzzled his neck, causing a hot blush to cover Shinichi's cheeks. Really, no matter how much time they would spend together, or how many times they had behaved romantically with each other, Shinichi could not (and probably would never) get used to Ran's caresses. Not to mention kisses; the feeling of her lips would always make his whole body heat up intensely, sometimes to later freeze, and later burn up again. It was crazy... How much control Ran really had over him, and to be honest, he highly doubted she was even aware of it.

Pausing his thoughts once he was in front of the couch, he carefully lowered the sweet girl in his arms, down to the sofa's cushions. After making sure that she was in a comfortable position, he began to slowly unbutton her jacket, managing after a few moments to take away the warm garment and set it neatly on the living room table. Shinichi turned on his heels once again, and decided to walk towards the end of the couch, sitting close to Ran's feet. While at it, he placed his hands on Ran's knees while he slowly pulled her long socks towards his own body, finally taking them off after a few seconds. At that moment, Shinichi looked back at the pretty girl's face, while wishing with all his might to not see her worse than before, but to his displeasure, her health seemed to be far from satisfactory. Ran's cheeks were extremely rosy, her forehead and temples were covered in sweat, and to top it off, her eyes were shut tightly while one of her hands pressed over her stomach, trying to ease an invisible pain. Horrified, Shinichi quickly stood up and practically dashed to the kitchen, grabbing a small pot and filling it up with water, while he took a considerable number of ice cubes from the freezer and placed them in the water. Just as he was returning to the living room with the cold water though, he snatched a tiny and clean towel from a nearby drawer, and swung it over his shoulder.

Not even a minute had passed when Shinichi returned to the living room, carrying the few things that were necessary if he wanted to nurse his poor-and-not-so-well-feeling Ran that afternoon. Shinichi placed the pot full of water on a table adjacent to the couch, sunk the towel in it, and after taking the excess water from the cloth, he folded it carefully and placed it on the young woman's burning forehead. As soon as the damp towel came in contact with her skin, her blue eyes opened up in surprise, but her body relaxed a second after seeing Shinichi's face, and slowly began to be aware of her surroundings.

"Shinichi..." Whispered Ran, more to herself than to the young man.

"Where you dreaming, sleepyhead?" Teased Shinichi while he stroked the girl's cheek lovingly.

"Mnnn... nooo..." Responded Ran drowsily with an embarrassed smile.

Shinichi just chuckled at her expression and cupped her chin while he bent down to her face, kissing her with all the love and devotion that he held for her. After a short eternity, the two teenagers slowly ended the kiss but still stayed very close to each other, closely enough so that one could perfectly well feel the other breathing.

"How are you feeling, Ran?" Asked the boy while he brushed some of her damp bangs from her face.

Ran sighed tiredly. "My head feels really hot.. and my stomach hurts every once in a while.. and I feel so tired.. I don't even know why.. I don't like it, Shinichi... It's like suddenly I've turned into a chronically lethargic person."

"No you haven't.." Said Shinichi with a grin. "It's natural for you to feel tired. Your immune system is battling right now against.. I'm guessing, some type of flu.. and your body is just responding to this illness."

"But.. I shouldn't be this sick... I usually have a good immune system, don't I? I do karate all the time and I'm healthy..." Ran sighed in desperation. "I just.. hope I get better soon... it's been a week already.."

"Maybe if you would've stayed at home during the week instead of going to school, then you would've gotten better sooner... Let's just forget about it though.. what's done is done... You did take some medicine this morning, right?" Asked Shinichi while he resumed caressing her face.

"Yeah..."

"Good..." Shinichi smiled at her satisfactorily while he bent down for another kiss. Ran parted her lips just in time, before both teens engaged in the saliva exchange once again. Meanwhile, Shinichi began to shift from sitting on the couch, to actually lying down next to Ran, and slowly snaked an arm underneath the girl's neck. Once the two were comfortable enough, Shinichi, while trying his hardest not to break the kiss, carefully grabbed a nearby large and fluffy blanket with his free arm and covered both of their bodies with it.

The two lovers stayed in that position for quite some time, enjoying each other's company immensely, until unfortunately, the need to breathe became necessary for the two of them. The young man and woman slowly broke the kiss as they reopened their eyes, both blushing madly with a wide grin on their lips. They stayed like that for a long while; constantly gazing and observing each other's features lovingly; actually kissing and caressing every time their feelings would once again burst out like powerful fireworks.

For both Shinichi and Ran (although they had never really confessed it to each other, or even fully to themselves, for that matter), they were beginning to feel somewhat of a weird, hard to describe, new emotion though. For example: Kisses... Sure, the kissing between them was always incredibly loving, passionate, and just... absolutely amazing.. but they suddenly weren't as "effective" as they used to be. Unlike at the beginning of their relationship, when kissing had been a great source of "emotional release" for the both of them, the lip locking had now turned into something nice... something incredibly loving and sweet for them, but their feelings were still swimming around inside of them, and the kisses.. well, they were no longer capable of expressing absolutely all of their emotions. It just wasn't enough.

Of course, that's where the constant _I love you_'s come in. At a time when those words had never been pronounced between them, the small phrase had had a great power to it. It had taken some time for them to gather up the courage to even say those words to each other, and when they _would_ confess their love, a great sense of relief and satisfaction swiped over them. But now, when they wouldn't feel as embarrassed or as nervous to say "I love you," the words began to sound so... _small_. So incredibly weak, and.. well, not nearly as perfect as they once were. What both Shinichi and Ran were beginning to feel for each other, went so much further than love. It had become a passion.. a strong and insatiable desire for the other, that neither could possibly even express with words, kisses, or caresses. It was frustrating. And not only that, but it sometimes even became a scary thing for the two of them. They didn't know if it was normal to even have such powerful emotions. What would happen if their thoughts and feelings weren't typical? And what if the other didn't feel the same way? It was a terrifying thing for both Shinichi and Ran, to even consider that the other might just feel a liking. Maybe, some type of love, but neither of those were not nearly as close to the feelings of intense need, desire, and passion, that (unbeknownst to the other) they were both feeling. They both knew though, at least to some degree, that those strong emotions would sooner or later become absolutely impossible to conceal.. and beware of the day when those feelings shall come out, for the force and intensity with which they'll be revealed, will certainly shock any daring spectator who might be there to see.

A big yawn suddenly escaped Ran's mouth as she stretched her arms and legs tiredly, comically reminding Shinichi of a sleepy cat. Placing his arm around her ribs once she had finished stretching, he brought the girl's body closer to his as he brushed his lips against her blushing cheek.

"Are you tired, beauty?" Whispered Shinichi drowsily as he kissed her cheek lovingly.

Ran groaned in affirmation while she closed her eyes in pleasure, enjoying the warm feeling of his lips against her skin.

"Maybe we should go to sleep..." Proposed the young man as he sunk the small towel in the water for a second time, and placed it neatly on her forehead once it was cool.

"Maybe..." Whispered Ran sleepily with a small smile on her lips, as her eyes began to close. Shinichi smiled tenderly at the girl before him and wrapped his arms around her figure, burying his nose a second later in her silky, chocolate hair. A sigh of contentment escaped Ran's lips at that moment, as she hid her face in the crook of his neck. Kissing his skin affectionately, obviously unaware of the strong shivers that were running up and down the blushing boy's spine, she snuggled against her boyfriend's chest while a rosy blush and satisfied smile crept into her face.

Not even two minutes passed by, when the agency became as quiet as ever; the only sound being the slow, rhythmic, and even soothing respiration of two cuddled teenagers, who were visibly off to dreamland.

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Shinichi's eyes suddenly shot open as an alarming sound reached his ears. Lifting his upper body in full alert mode, he looked at his surroundings, trying to see if there was anything, or anyone, suspicious. After a few moments of pure silence and a quick visual check that everything was intact in the house, Shinichi let out a small sigh of relief and reclined against the couch once again. He noticed the room was a lot darker now, painted with dark, purplish-red lights from the setting sun's warm rays. The colors seemed to produce some kind of drowsiness on the boy, for his eyes had begun to close tiredly in an attempt to resume his sleep, but suddenly, the acute sound he had heard before reached his ears once again, and even more clearly than the previous occasion. His eyes quickly reopened as he turned his head towards the sound, hoping that what he heard, hadn't been a squeal or a moan. Unfortunately though, he realized it had been.. and the worst of all, was that the originator of such sound had been Ran.

The girl's current state was proving to be a very painful one to even look at. Her brow was furrowed in agony as sweat trickled down her red cheeks, forehead, temples, and neck; her hands were tightly closed into fists as her chest moved up and down, at a definitely faster rate than normal; and yes, those heartbreaking moans that would come out of her mouth every few seconds just topped the whole thing off. Shinichi was going insane with just looking at her, absolutely horrified by her worsening condition. He quickly took the towel that had apparently fallen from Ran's head and was about to sink it in the water to place it back on her forehead, when the girl's eyes suddenly opened.. and the towel in Shinichi's hand fell right to the ground, along with his heart.

Ran's eyes... her pupils.. they were _dilated._ They were more dilated than the eyes of a cat that lies in the dark; more dilated than an overly unrealistic cartoon. They were practically black, instead of her usual light blue. And an absolutely horrified Shinichi knew what this meant... dilation of pupils was, after all, one of the signs of a person with a high fever, possibly going into a coma.

Aware of the gravity of the situation, and the possibilities of danger if he didn't do anything quickly, he ran towards the bathroom and turned on all the lights. Moving quickly to the bathtub, he turned on the faucet and let lukewarm water fall in torrents. After quickly preparing a few things, he ran back to the living room and knelt down next to Ran while he observed her movements carefully.

"Shinichi..?" Whispered Ran drowsily, while she stretched her arms and legs.

"How's your head, baby?" Asked Shinichi lowly while he ran his fingers through her hair.

Ran blushed at his choice of words, but still attempted to answer his question. "I-I... feel I have a fever.."

"I know... I'm preparing the tub for you... we'll see if we can get your temperature to go down." Said Shinichi with a small smile. "Speaking of which, let's go to the bathroom now, before there are any floods. I really let the water run in there.." Finished the boy with a sheepish smile, while he snaked his arms under her back and legs, lifting the girl's body with ease. Carrying Ran all the way to the bathroom, he slowly let her sit on the edge of the tub while he turned off the water. After making sure the water wasn't too warm or too cold, he knelt in front of Ran and placed his hands on her cheeks, while he carefully examined her eyes.

"Sh-Shinichi..? Is something wrong?" Asked the young woman confusedly.

"I'm just.. looking at your pupils..." Responded Shinichi absentmindedly while he continued to stare into her eyes. He did so for a long time, until eventually, he seemed to snap out of it. "Alright umm... Listen. I'll let you get undressed.. and I want you to take a nice, long bath and stay in the tub for a _while_, okay..? Stay in the water until your skin feels cold, and your head doesn't hurt as much... that should really help your fever... Now, do you have everything you need..? Oh yeah, do you want me to bring some clean clothes for you?"

Ran smiled at her boyfriend's overactive trail of thought. "No.. it's okay... I'll get the clothes once I go to my room to change.. I don't like having them in the bathroom."

"Oh.. alright... well, just call me if you need anything, okay? I'll stay in the living room, so I'll be able to hear you..."

"Okay.. I will..." Assured Ran with a smile. Shinichi grinned back at her, and cupped her face as he gave her a small kiss.

"Alright then.. I'll let you go... Enjoy your bath! Oh, and I left a towel for you. It's right next to the tub." Said Shinichi as he headed out the door.

"Thank you" responded a smiling Ran as Shinichi stepped outside the bathroom. Flashing her his trademark grin, he soon after carefully closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in the brightly lit room. Unsteadily standing up after a couple of seconds went by, Ran began to unbutton her shirt, managing to get it off after a few moments of struggling. Her skirt and underwear eventually joined the pile as well, and once ready, she sank her foot inside the somewhat warm water. Trying to get used to the temperature for a couple of seconds, she took some time before setting her other foot in the bathtub, and eventually sank her whole body in the water while letting out a sigh of relief. She had been sweating so much before, and had felt the hot drops of liquid run down her neck and spine... naturally, it just felt great to be taking a warm and relaxing bath now. Looking at the water, she suddenly realized that Shinichi had obviously placed a bubble bath mixture, since hundreds of circular, pinkish bubbles filled her entire bathtub. Smiling at the nice gesture, she began to play with some of them, trying to move the big ones around without popping them, and using some other soap bubbles to scrub her skin. She continued this activity for several minutes, simply enjoying the warm water and tranquility of her bath, until a strong rush of heat rapidly traveled to her head. Trying to keep calm, even though her forehead felt like it was currently under fire, she decided to take a deep breath, and sink her head inside the water in order to cool it off.

Meanwhile, Shinichi was in the kitchen refilling the pot with fresh water while attempting to fix a quick soup for Ran. Thankfully, she had bought instant noodles a couple of days ago, so he was able to cook the food without worrying about messing up any ingredients, or having anything taste bad. Unlike her, cooking wasn't exactly one of his.. "admirable" qualities.

Thinking back to the currently sick girl in the bathroom, Shinichi's expression turned into one of preoccupation. How he hoped she'd feel better soon... A week _was_ a painful amount of time to be sick, especially if you're constantly going to school, and basically running around. He was pretty sure the bath would definitely help her recover though; the main goal was to lower her current temperature, and he'd make sure that at least today, by any means necessary, she'd go to sleep without the fever. And well, of course, this was _Ran_ whom he was talking about. She was the strongest girl Shinichi had ever met.. and not only physically, but mentally too. Anybody who got to know her would say so. Surely her own will to get better would cooperate with him and his plan to help her feel better.

Realizing that the 3 minute cooking time for the soup had already gone by, he took the pan full of noodles from the stove and placed the hot contents inside a bowl. After grabbing a spoon and some salt and pepper, Shinichi headed towards the living room and carefully placed all of the food on the table adjacent to the sofa. Then, walking back to the kitchen, he took a hold of the pot full of cold water, and carried it back to the living room, along with a new, clean towel. Leaving all of the objects neatly on the table, he realized that there wasn't really anything else to prepare for the girl, so he treaded towards the outside of the bathroom door, meaning to ask her if she needed anything.

"Ran..? How's everything in there?" Asked Shinichi while looking at a nearby wall.

No response. Shinichi stood silent for a few seconds, waiting for an answer. After a while, he just figured she hadn't heard him.

"Ran? Is everything alright?" Repeated Shinichi, this time a little louder. Again... her voice was not heard. By now, Shinichi began to get worried.

"Ran?...Ran!!" He called loudly while knocking on the door, fear and uneasiness only growing inside of him. "RAN!" He tried once again, but the strong fear won out to the embarrassment, and he instantly opened wide the door. Striding towards the bathtub, he immediately realized that Ran's head was underwater.

_'Oh god.. NO...'_

Without thinking twice, Shinichi instantly placed his arms under the girl's naked back and neck, quickly pulling her upper body towards his own chest. As soon as he did though, he was pretty sure his heart skipped a HUGE beat.

Ran's eyes opened up widely as her mouth hung open; her expression, at the moment, being very similar to that of Shinichi's. They both stared at each other, the redness in their cheeks increasing by the second, as their brains tried to register all of the information. Shinichi's instinctive side of his mind, simply screamed at him to flee the scene, but his legs just wouldn't respond. The current image of Ran's wet hair, her red cheeks and wet lips, the water trickling down her creamy, naked skin... _'Oh please... somebody stop me..' _Thought Shinichi desperately as the last traces of reasoning left his brain, leaving only his hormones to take over his actions. Closing the distance between them, Shinichi began to kiss the girl as he cupped her face, his heart just racing in speed with every movement of their hungry lips, which massaged each other's skin with more ardor than ever experienced. It was almost as if they had never really performed such activity, which in reality, it was partially true, for there had never been a bare naked participant in their loving demonstrations, and neither had their passion for each other ever really been expressed. Not in the way they were _now_ beginning to do so.

"Wait, WAIT, WAIT!!! He _WHAAAT_??"

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"He took you OUT of the Water?!?" Suddenly screamed a blushing Kazuha, her expression being one of pure shock.

Ran simply laughed a little, her cheeks already a flaming red. "Uhm.. well.. yes. But he thought that I had drowned!"

"Ahh! How romantic!! I didn't know Shinichi-kun was capable of doing something like that!!" Exclaimed Sonoko, clasping her hands dreamily.

"Neither did I! And he even kissed you??" Asked Kazuha curiously with a huge smile.

Ran nodded while a small smile reached her lips, her currently crimson cheeks being the only major "give-away" of her embarrassment.

"So?? You said Shinichi-kun lifted you from the water, and then you two started making out passionately-"

"Sonoko!!" Protested a beet red Ran.

"Well, it's true, you know! Anyway.. that doesn't matter, the important thing is: What happened next???"

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Shinichi slowly ended their kiss as he reopened his blue eyes, taking a deep breath as soon as their lips stopped touching each other.

He needed to tell her... he certainly couldn't and _wouldn't_ wait anymore. Not when his feelings were now going completely out of control, his hormones jumping up and down inside of him, and the object in his pocket just eagerly waiting to reveal itself to the world. He knew he'd never be able to stop these factors from taking action, it was, after all, part of human nature... but he was sure he'd use them on his advantage to do something he normally would almost never be able to accomplish.

At that moment, Shinichi looked back at Ran's eyes while he moved his hand from her cheek, to her jaw and neck, lovingly caressing her skin in the process. He wanted to touch her; feel the smoothness of her skin underneath his hands and lips; express all of his innermost thoughts, and feelings, and desires to her; but most important of all, be able to do all of these things for the rest of his life... To Shinichi, a lifetime didn't even sound long enough for him to fully express the deep love that he held for his most beloved Ran... His feelings were just too strong, and practically, indescribable. He had promised himself though, that he'd try his very hardest to show Ran just _how much_ he loved her, even if it took an actual "forever" for him to do so.

Parting his lips in order to speak, Shinichi began to feel his cheeks burn, his heart race, and his palms sweat. He was getting nervous, but he needed to go on. He surely wouldn't let this opportunity pass.

"Ran.. I-I'm..." Shinichi sighed in desperation as he tried to get his words together. Meanwhile, Ran looked at him curiously while she tried to hide her body underneath the water and bubbles. She was still extremely embarrassed by what had happened, but Shinichi's sudden seriousness had more than motivated her silence.

"First of all, I'm sorry that I'm using.. this precise moment to tell you everything... We're not at any wonderful place, you're undressed, currently taking a bath, and I look like a wreck, but I find myself just.. unable to wait any longer. I've already waited long enough to tell you this; I don't know why, because it's been in my mind forever, but..." Another sigh escaped his lips. Taking a long pause before continuing, he looked at Ran once again, noticing with surprise the encouraging smile she was giving him. She wanted him to continue, and so he did.

"I love you.. I love you and you know it.. I've only told you a thousand times... but I never did tell you just how much you mean to me, or how amazing you are, or just how really dependent I am of you... You think I can function on my own, that I can do whatever I please because I'm strong, and fearless, and self-sufficient, but that's simply just not the truth.. Without you, Ran, I would never be strong. I would become weak and disoriented. Completely incapable of anything... and the reason to that is simple. It's because you're the most important person in the world to me, Ran, and without you, my life would be completely empty. It would lose its essence and meaning. For you to not be a part of my life is my worst nightmare; the thought itself is enough to send shivers down my spine...

"Oh Ran, I just love you _so_ much.. I wish I could just.. tell you, show you, just how far my feelings go for you.. I don't believe such thing is even possible, though." Said the young man, smiling helplessly. Ran just stared at him with wide eyes, completely awestruck by what he was saying. Neither did she move a muscle; her mind was trying its hardest to register all of the information, although it seemed her heart had already picked up the signals and the way his "speech" was going, for it had begun to beat faster and faster with every sweet word spoken by the great detective.

"Truth be told, Ran... I love you more than anything else in this world, and I more than gladly, would like to spend the rest of my life with you. What I'm trying to say, Ran, is... w-what I'd like to ask you.." Ran's cheeks reddened as her heart began to race in anticipation. Biting her lips in order to stop from screaming nervously, she tried her hardest not to fantasize on the possibilities of what he could possibly say next, although her mind had a pretty good idea of what was to happen next. _'Oh my gosh...Shinichi!'_

"Ran..." With blushing cheeks, he placed his hand inside his pocket and carefully took out a small, blue jewelry box. "Would you give me the honor.. of becoming your husband?"

Ran's heart felt like it was about to explode; her eyes widened in surprise as her mouth hung open, and her cheeks reached a record-breaking level of crimson. _'He said it... Hesaidithesaidithesaidit!! Oh kami, he asked me to be his..! Oh Shinichi!' _With sudden tears of happiness, she closed the small gap between them, hugging the young man as tightly as she could, as she lovingly kissed his neck. "Yes, yes, yes! Yes, Shinichi! I'll marry you..!!"

Shinichi smiled broadly as he let out a big sigh of relief, realizing at that moment, that he had actually been holding his breath during the entire time. Resting his head on Ran's naked shoulder, he wrapped his arms around the girl's figure while he slowly brushed his lips against her skin; kissing her shoulder while he slowly moved his lips towards her neck, jaw, and cheeks, moments later, finally reaching her lips. The two lovers began to kiss each other all over again, joyously discovering, slowly but surely, the new and now authorized, romantic methods for the couple to express their emotions...

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Both Kazuha and Sonoko's eyes widened as their mouths hung open in the pure shock. Their cheeks became bright red as realization slowly began to sink in, the facts finally becoming clear after a few seconds of intense thought. The two girls looked at each other with huge smiles on their lips, and were soon after hugging the life out of their now-engaged friend.

"Oh my gosh!! Ran!!! You're engaged!!"

"You're gettin' married!!! Oh!! This is so wonderful!"

"It was about _time_ that detective otaku popped the question, ne?" Exclaimed Sonoko happily.

Ran giggled at her friends' enthusiasm while she affectionately played with the metal in her finger.

"Ahhh! This is so great, Ran-chan!! After all o' the hardships you two have gone through, all o' the things that have happened and have kept you apart.. you still love each other and are even gettin' married!! It all just sounds like a fairytale!!!" Said Kazuha dreamily.

"A wonderful fairytale!! ...Oh, but wait a minute. Ran, didn't you say Shinichi-kun took out a velvet box before proposing to you?" Asked Sonoko, remembering the girl's words.

"Oh! Yeah, he opened it later... and this was in the inside" finished the girl, showing her friends her engagement ring. The two girls gasped in admiration at the sight of the ring, regarding its breathtaking sapphire and elaborate white gold band. "It's so pretty..! How sweet o' him to give it to you on the same day o' his proposal!" Commented Kazuha while she looked back at her friend, smiling from ear to ear. "Wait, but.. how come he had it with him, though?"

"I asked him the same question, actually!" Said Ran with a smile. "He told me he had been carrying the ring around for a long time... he didn't know when he'd get up the nerve to ask me to marry him, so he basically just took the engagement ring everywhere he went."

"Oh I see... He must've been pretty nervous to ask you to marry him, then! Poor guy..." Said Kazuha with a sympathetic smile.

"That's Shinichi-kun, alright..!" Finished Sonoko with a humorous tone. "So what happened later?"

Ran suddenly choked on her drink. "W-what happened... later?"

"Yeah.. you know, you were telling us how he proposed to you and all... did you guys go anywhere, or do anything fun for the rest of the evening?" Asked Sonoko once again while she steered her drink with a straw.

"..Anything f-fun... huh..." Ran began to space out, once again, as she stared into her drink. Her eyes became brighter and her cheeks rosier as she suddenly remembered moments from the night before. Shinichi's sweet caresses, the distinctive scent of his skin, the passionate kisses he'd always provide, the loving words he had continuously murmured, the blue-eyed devotional and amorous looks he gave her during the entire night... "RAN!"

The girl's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she looked up at her friends, noticing that they were staring at her curiously. "Did y-you guys say.. s-something..?" Asked Ran a little awkwardly; the images from the night before just wouldn't stop coming!

"We asked you if you did anythin' afterwards.. and then we called your name like four times.. are you sure you're alright?" Asked Kazuha a little worriedly.

"Y-yeah.. don't worry, I'm fine..!"

"So did you two have a nice evening together? Have an official married couple date, like.. you know, go out to dine at a fancy restaurant or something?" Asked Sonoko with a big smile, enjoying the pleasure of saying the word "married" and not having to get yelled at by doing so.

"N-no..." Mumbled Ran, her cheeks reaching an even redder tone as even _more_ images popped up in her mind. "We just.. h-hung out... and he-uhm.. eventually.. went home..."

"Hung out...?" Whispered Sonoko quizzically as she exchanged unsure glances with Kazuha. Detecting Ran's worsening blush and embarrassed look, and piecing those two things with the words "hang out" and "_eventually_ went home," the two girls giggled in understanding. "I take it as you two had a _lovely_ evening, then?"

Ran looked back at the two girls with bright red, crimson cheeks, as a shy, but incredibly happy smile was drawn on her lips.

"Sensationally fabulous evening sounds more like it..."

* * *

_It's done!! n-n And I feel like I just ate a pinwheel with whipped cream and hot chocolate fudge on it... Yup, the extremely sweet taste of fluff my friends... and I must say, the bubbly fluffy fuzzies are, at the moment, absolutely eating me away.!!! xDDD _

_Anyways, I'm sorry the update took so long! School started not too long ago, my sister came over to visit, I've had tons of homework, this website wouldn't let me upload the document.. ¬¬UU Hehe, a whooole set of things! But anyways, I'm very happy to say that I used my free time wisely in order to finish this one-shot. :DD _

_Anyways! Thank you soo much for reading my stories everyone!! n-n_

_Ja ne!! _


	4. Psychological Games Part Deux

_This chapter was tough! xD No, really, I hadn't expected writing a second part to ch.2, so I had to improvise.. a quick romance flick and 20 minutes of bouncing a blue balloon (no, not a soccer ball.. xDD) helped me to get the job done! And of course, my readers were my biggest inspiration, as well as incentive! This chapter goes to you guys! ;) By the way, I strongly suggest you read, at least, the last couple of paragraphs from ch.2 before reading the second part of this story... it'll really help on understanding the thoughts and mood of the characters. _

_Anyways, Enjoy!! n.n _

_**Disclaimer:**__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

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**Title:**Psychological Games (Part Deux) 

**Summary:**_ An end to the simple friendship... _

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The bell suddenly rang, finally giving a conclusion to the not-so-bad-starting-but-turned-utterly-catastrophic school day. The students began to get up from their desks, just as Shinichi was already dashing towards the door with his book bag in his hands. 

"Shinichi..!" Called out Ran to the boy, also grabbing her books while she ran after him. Apparently he had not heard her, seemingly too concentrated on his thoughts, for he continued to have the same panicky and thoughtful expression as he strode through the halls of Teitan High School.

_'Crap, crap, crap, damn, damn it, Damn it all! Why in the world did that have to happen..? Why?! What did I do to deserve this? I do one _stupid_ little test, just say a few things, and suddenly BOOM! The WHOLE class just gets their own personal discourse on how I feel about, pretty much, everything..! And Ran was there, for god's sake!! She was in there, and she heard, and now she knows, and now I don't know what she's going to say, and..!'_ Shinichi suddenly stopped and took a deep breath, trying his hardest to calm himself down. Little times did he ever get this jumpy. Most of the time, if not all of the time, he was usually calm and collected.. sharp, attentive, and calculating. Well, of course that is, if he wasn't around his childhood friend... "Shinichi!"

The boy turned around to look at a panting, blue-eyed girl. "W-why.. didn't you.. wait f-for me?" Managed to say the girl as she breathed heavily, looking at him worriedly. "I called your name.. a few times, you didn't.. stop to walk with me.."

Shinichi blushed deeply as he looked away from her inquisitive and beautiful eyes, embarrassed from head to toe. "Oh..uhm.. s-sorry about that.. I guess I didn't hear you calling me.." Said the young man a little lamely, his cheeks becoming redder by the second.

Ran gave him a relieved smile as she reached for his arm, grabbing it gently as she resumed their walk. "Well, that's good.. I thought you had, perhaps, gotten angry at me or something.. and that was why you were walking so fast.."

"Angry...? Why would I be angry at you?" Asked Shinichi confusedly.

"I don't know... that's why I followed you, and asked you..." Confessed Ran with an embarrassed expression as she smiled weakly at the boy next to her. Shinichi immediately blushed, once again, as he quickly diverted his eyes from his friend's face towards the ground. What would he do, now? Currently, it was proving to be practically impossible to look at his friend without having his face turn beet red; how in the world would he be able to speak to her, as if nothing had happened?

Well, at least he had the whole afternoon and evening to think about what to do...

"Oh Shinichi, I forgot to tell you.. I hope you don't mind studying at your house. I didn't have time this morning to clean up the apartment, so the place is a huge mess right now..."

"Huh? Study at my house..?" Shinichi looked at Ran with a clueless expression, not knowing what she was talking about.

"Remember? You asked me, during lunch, if I'd help you after school in reviewing some of the chapters that you missed on Psychology..?" Reminded Ran as she looked at him curiously.

_'... Oh, that's right! I did ask Ran to tutor me today... an excuse to spend the afternoon with her... But how in the world am I going to do this now, after all that's happened..? It'll be so embarrassing, she knows so many things that she shouldn't now! But neither can I call the whole thing off, since we have a Psychology test this week... and I really do need the help..'_ Thought Shinichi as he looked back at Ran's face with uneasiness. _'I'm stuck... and I'll probably be suffering, and blushing like an idiot during the whole afternoon...'_

"Y-yeah.. I remember..!" Responded Shinichi with a nervous smile. "Don't worry about it.. we can study at my house if you'd like..."

Sighing in relief, Ran looked at her friend, smiling happily. "That's good! I really wouldn't want you to see that mess..! Heh, I don't even want to see it myself.." Finished the girl with a resigned look on her face. Shinichi grinned at her knowingly, as the two of them continued their walk towards his house, neither saying a word during the entire time. Unfortunately for the childhood friends, such silence tempted their minds to wander off to fantasy-land, causing for all of the memories relating to that strange psychology test Shinichi had taken that afternoon, to pop back into their consciousness.

_**"..This shows that to you, love is something pure and beautiful..!" **_

_**"..Love will be very important to you.."**_

_**"..If you have a strong and long-lasting friendship, then you don't mind taking that relationship to the next step... towards love..."**_

With crimson cheeks, Ran watched Shinichi longingly from the corner of her eyes. Could he have been serious? About that crystal cup..? The key? And even that whole 'key in the cup' thing..? _'Oh c'mon Ran, why would he make it up? You can't cheat on a psychology test, and it's not like he planned out his answers! Besides, what makes you think he'd want to say something like that...? Furthering your friendship into romantici-' _"We're here" Suddenly announced Shinichi, interrupting her mental discussion and bringing her back to reality. Ran just looked at the ground, an embarrassed expression on her facial features, as she entered, along with Shinichi, into the Kudou Residence. Why was she there..? She knew for certain that she was supposed to help Shinichi with school, but just _how_ was she supposed to concentrate on the subject? She was sure she'd keep on thinking about what happened earlier, and that would only make the situation worse!

Ever since Shinichi had taken the antidote, she had been thinking of telling him, practically every day, about her feelings.. the only thing that stopped her, was the idea that maybe.. just _maybe_, he might mention something to her first. Of course, such thing never actually happened. A week since his return had already gone by, and Shinichi hadn't told her anything about his feelings yet. Naturally, Ran's patience was beginning to deteriorate, although her love for him continued to bloom. And, well.. today's events certainly didn't make things any easier for her, for the sweet things he had said had made her fall even _more_ in love with the boy, tempting her to confess all of her emotions to him.

How curious though, that the aforementioned young lady actually happened to be completely oblivious of her male friend's all-too-similar thoughts and feelings...

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Shinichi quietly sat at the end of the couch, book and notes in hand, as he tried to listen to his friend's explanation on the differences between hormones and neurotransmitters. _Tried_ to, but simply couldn't.  
No matter how many times he would attempt to concentrate on what she said; anything, from a thought, to even a physical factor, would always manage to interrupt her speech. The distraction always seemed to be, either her sweet, feminine voice that would make his insides burn; or her curves that would make his eyes glitter and pupils dilate in admiration; it could even be the topic of Psychology, now being reviewed, that would remind him of that little "test;" other times, it was something else altogether. In other words, Shinichi was not in conditions for concentrating today... not around his female friend, at least.

"Shinichi..? Are you listening?"

"Huh..?" Shinichi looked back at Ran's eyes in surprise, her voice bringing him back down to Earth.

"I asked you what seratonin and dopomine have in common... Shinichi, are you alright? You seem distracted.. and you're face is flushed. Are you getting a fever?" Asked Ran worriedly as she approached him, extending her arm to touch the man's forehead.

"No,no,no! I'm fine really, you don't have to.. ah!" Shinichi blushed even more as Ran felt his head, her face now being _really_ close to his own. Quickly grabbing her hand, although still as gently as possible, he tried to take her caring fingers away from his forehead as he smiled at her reassuringly. "D-don't worry, Ran! I told you, I'm okay!"

"Why have you been so distracted, then?" Asked a concerned Ran as she knelt next to him, on the couch. There was still an extremely small distance between their faces.

"W-well... that's.. because.." Shinichi shyly glanced at Ran before continuing, his cheeks increasing in redness as he began to remember what had happened at school. "Ugh... it's just..! ...I've been thinking about that stupid test, that's all.." Finally declared Shinichi, looking at the ground embarrassedly.

Ran's eyes widened in surprise, as her heart raced and cheeks burned in anticipation. "The.. psychology test..?"

The young man nodded slightly as he felt the sofa's soft texture with nervous fingers. "Y-yeah.. it's just that... ugh... the whole situation was so embarrassing..! And I guess I'm also.. shocked by the things Nakamura said.. I hadn't expected any of that.."

Butterflies fluttered inside Ran's stomach as she stared at her childhood friend. "W-wait.. so everything was true..?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Shinichi, immediately diverting his gaze from the white couch, to the young woman's blue eyes.

"Everything Nakamura-sensei said.. I mean.. I don't think you'd be so upset about the test, if... well, if there wasn't, at least, some truth behind your responses... Am I right at all?" Finished Ran with hopeful eyes and rosy cheeks, as she slightly inclined towards Shinichi's figure.

Shinichi's heart rate suddenly increased, his breathing became harsher and face bloomed, as Ran's face suddenly got closer to his own, their lips only being a few centimeters away. Her statement didn't make matters easier, either. "I-uh... w-well.. to tell you the truth, Ran... I guess... yeah.. those answers were-uh.. well, somewhat, t-truthful..." Ran's eyes widened greatly. "Really..?"

Shinichi merely nodded in assurance as he stared, in embarrassment, at his school shirt; obviously unable to look at his friend at the current moment. This situation had to end! It was becoming so embarrassing, he was making a complete fool of himself! "I l-liked your responses, Shinichi..." Why did he tell her that what Nakamura had said was true? Why didn't he just lie, and tell her that the responses hadn't been tr-... wait... What had she said..? _'Did she just say she...? ...What?!!'_

"Wait, what did you just say, Ran?" Asked the young man, not fully believing that what he had heard, was right.

Ran blushed deeply as she looked at the ground. "I liked your responses... I liked what you answered, and I liked the meaning behind your actions..." She looked back at her crush's face, noticing with delight that his pupils were very wide, and dark, just as his cheeks were now a flaming red. Decided to not wait any longer, Ran took a deep breath, relatively calming down after a couple of seconds, and soon after, smiled warmly at the blushing man in front of her.

"I like you, Shinichi..."

Shinichi's heart skipped a beat as his brain suddenly stopped. He couldn't think, he even felt he couldn't breathe. The words spoken by the brunette in front of him, repeating like an echo in his head, had currently stopped all functioning in his body. He could only stare at her with wide eyes and an open mouth; his heart beginning to pound so strongly, he felt it would burst!  
After a few moments of utter shock though, without really thinking of his actions, he let instinct take over the situation, as he inclined towards the girl and raised his hand to cup her neck. Bringing her head towards his own, he closed his eyes as his lips touched hers, although pulling back almost immediately after the initial sensation. Ran opened her eyes a little, just as Shinichi pulled her back in, kissing her with even more passion and desire than before. Gasping in surprise as the young man embraced her figure and pushed her, along with himself, onto the soft couch; she was now lying on the white cushions, underneath the kissing detective, with her heart pounding so strongly, it seemed it was undergoing a heart attack.  
The two teenagers continued to kiss fervently, the love and appetite for each other rapidly increasing, until their feelings simply became too overwhelming to restrain.  
Slowly moving her hands over his chest, Ran managed after a few seconds of struggling to get the young man's green tie off, throwing it on the air as her nervous fingers quickly returned to his body.  
Shinichi, for his part, had already taken off Ran's blue jacket and tie. Currently working down her shirt, he managed after a few moments to unbutton it so much, her light pink bra was already clearly exposed.

Whether it was for the better or worse, though, the passionate kisses were suddenly interrupted by an acute sound, which resounded throughout the entire house. Both teenagers immediately opened their eyes, neither moving a muscle or separating their lips, until the sound was heard, yet again. Shinichi lifted his upper body off of Ran's figure, to look outside the window; soon after discovering that Ran's father was the one ringing the bell.

"It's your dad.." whispered Shinichi as he lay back down, next to Ran.

"Three hours have already gone by..?" Murmured Ran as she looked at her watch disappointedly. She sighed once the numbers 6:42 shined back at her. "Ugh... I don't want to leave yet.." Whispered the girl as she sadly looked back at Shinichi's face.

"Well, your dad's already outside... You can come tomorrow, after school, if you want!" Proposed Shinichi, playfully grinning at her. "Besides... I still need to review for Psychology.. hopefully, tomorrow, I'll be able to concentrate a little more, ne?" Finished the young man as he caressed her cheeks. Ran giggled at his comment, but still nodded her head in agreement, assuring him that she would return to his house the next day. Grinning at her satisfactorily, Shinichi cupped her face as he kissed her lovingly, caressing her lips for a long time, until the ringing of the bell resounded in the house, once again. Ending their kiss, both teens clumsily got up from the couch, as they fixed their clothes and hair to a somewhat "presentable" state. Picking up Ran's books and notes, he walked towards the vestibule, where the girl was currently putting her shoes on; his cheeks reddening considerably as she turned to look at him.

"Ran, button.."

"What..?" Whispered the girl confusedly.

"You missed a button" informed Shinichi as he pointed at her chest. Realizing what he meant, her face acquired a crimson shade as she buttoned the area where he'd pointed. Directing her gaze from her chest, to her now-boyfriend, she realized he had already walked closer to her, and was now kissing her good-bye. She closed her eyes for a few moments, enjoying the warm and intimate feeling of their kiss to the very last moment, until they both knew, they had to separate for today.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow to go to school, okay..?" Whispered Shinichi as he ran his hands through her long strands of soft, chocolate hair. "Okay.." Ran softly said, smiling at him as she rose on her tiptoes, giving him one quick kiss before grabbing her belongings and opening the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, then.." Whispered Ran lovingly as her cheeks flushed once again.

"See you tomorrow, Ran.." Said Shinichi, smiling sweetly as she walked towards the gate. Watching the young woman amorously as she closed the gate behind her, the two shared one last, tender look, as she smiled at him warmly and finally departed with her father.

Turning around while he closed the door, he heard a muffled "What was _that_ all about?!" from Ran's father and a "Nothing 'tousan!" coming from her. Laughing in amusement, he lay against the door as he stared at nowhere in particular.  
Who would've thought..? Who would've thought that _any_ of those things would have happened? From that stupid test; which, even though it had provided the key for furthering his and his childhood friend's relationship, he still considered it a dimwitted and wrongfully revealing test. Secondly, to the ultimately shocking, and certainly unexpected confession of love, from Ran. To, well.. the whole kissing part with her. Shinichi's cheeks blushed intensely as he remembered the sudden boldness that had overpowered his actions. He had actually unbuttoned her shirt! He had seen her half-naked on that couch..! The worst of it all, though, was that he couldn't get the image of Ran's soft, bare, and silky skin, out of his mind...

_'I need a case... and a long, warm bath... and a soccer ball to ease my mind..!' _Begged Shinichi internally as he walked towards the kitchen, filling a glass with water and immediately brushing the icy cold object against his red cheeks.

_'Well.. at least I have all night to cool off...'_

* * *

_Hmm.. Shinichi-kun is going through the hormonally-raging teenage stage..?? xDD Poor kid, I really did a number on him on this story... But there has been too much pain for our Ran, dealing with that sickness and all..! I think she deserved a break for once..!! n.nUU_

_Anyway, if this story wasn't as great... blame it on improvisation! lol. Who am I kidding.. I'll take the blame, it's alright! xD I tried hard this time to finish it quickly, but maybe the work suffered.. although, I'm still not sure about that... Hmm, see? That's where your reviews come in handy!! xDD lol! ..how many other ways can someone come up with mentioning the word "review" in here..? n//nUUU _

_Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter!! n.n_

_Ja ne everybody!! _


	5. Kudou Haruka?

_A drastic change in theme for this chapter!! n.nUU I hope you accept the-uhm... how could I put it..? Fantasy (I guess..?) of this particular one-shot. This idea has been in my head for "quite" some time, so naturally, I've put it in the Days of Romance! Aww.. now, how nice is that? n.nUUUUUUUU_

_Oh boy... I'm getting senile, I swear.. xDD _

_Anyhow, very special thanks to my reviewers, and of course, to everyone who has read my stories!! Hope you like this chapter..!! _

_**Disclaimer:**__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:**_ Kudou Haruka?_

**Summary:**_ A meeting between the past and the future... _

* * *

The breeze began to pick up, causing for tiny Sakura blossoms to swiftly rise from the ground. The petals danced around the vast soccer fields of Teitan, powering the wind with a fresh and pleasant fragrance. Deeply inhaling the sweet aroma, a brunette girl carried her satchel and sports' bag tiredly as she walked towards her home, enjoying the early entrance of spring as much as she possibly could. Her dark blue eyes kept on drooping though, and a long, exhausted yawn would always escape her mouth; the process being faithfully repeated every other minute, resembling some comical ritual. Unfortunately, such activity was not _exactly_ allowing her to fully appreciate the beautiful vernal scenery around her, or even hear the very well-known voice of her friend. 

"Oi, Haruka!" Moving her rubbing fingers from her eyes, the girl slowly turned around upon hearing her name.

"Oh. Hey, Reiko.." murmured the pretty, but tired brunette once she saw her childhood friend. She had long, wavy hair of a somewhat light brown tone, and eyes of a dark brown coloration.

"Haruka, I called your name, at least four times already! Seriously, you really need to clean your ea... Whoa, are you alright..? You look.. exhausted!" Commented Reiko once she saw the fatigued look on her friend's face.

"Yeah... I'm fine. I just need to sleep..."

"Soccer practice.. tough today..?" Wondered the girl out loud as she smiled at her friend sympathetically.

"Mhmm... we ran a lot... I'm used to it though, but today.. it was such a long day, it made our training so much harder..." Commented Haruka as she yawned, yet again.

"No kidding... By the way, where's Kenshin-kun?" Asked Reiko as her cheeks bloomed in color, diverting her gaze towards the ground, in an embarrassed fashion.

"My brother..? He has karate practice today... He's supposed to already be out by now, but he wanted to stay after class..." Stated the girl matter-of-factly.

Reiko raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Why? Don't you guys have karate equipment at your house..? Your mom's..?"

"Yeah, but he didn't want any distractions... besides, karate tournament's coming up soon, remember?" Finished Haruka, coming to a halt once the street separated into two paths. "Anyways, here's my street. I'll see you tomorrow, Reiko!" Said the girl with a cheerfulness more associated with her personality as she waved goodbye at her friend, beginning to walk the last couple of meters towards her house. "Jaa, Haruka-chan!" The girl smiled and made a small gesture with her hand once again, to later continue on her walk.  
Not even a minute had passed since she had separated with her friend, when Haruka already arrived at the gates of her home. Opening the portal and closing it behind her, she took out her house keys as she stood before the mahogany doors. Placing the old-fashioned skeleton key inside the metal lock, she unlocked the doors and stepped in her home.

"Tadaima!!" Yelled out the blue-eyed girl as she took off her shoes, soon after putting on her house slippers. She walked towards the living room, dropping her satchel and soccer bag on the couch as she took a look around her. _'Hmm.. 'tousan and 'kaasan aren't back from work yet.. most probably.'_ She glanced back at the vestibule, noticing that her parents' shoes weren't next to hers. _'Yeah.. they aren't back yet.' _Though Haruka assuredly. Standing with her behind against the couch and her arms crossed on her chest, she suddenly didn't feel as drowsy anymore. A little energy had actually returned to her body, but she certainly didn't feel like reading, or touching any of her homework yet. Deciding to pay a small visit to her next door neighbor and long-time friend (he'd probably have something interesting to do), a new wave of enthusiasm filled her insides as she walked back to the vestibule and headed out the door. Surely, the doctor would let her stay at his house while she waited on her parents' arrival.

* * *

"Hakase! It's Haruka!" Called the girl loudly as she walked inside the house. She headed towards the living room, noticing that the usually turned on TV, was currently off. Unfortunately, there were no sounds in this man's house either. Walking around the house while she called out his name, she entered the lab where he'd usually be at. Quickly noticing with sudden curiosity, she saw a newly installed machine, filled with strange buttons, levers, and flashing numbers, at one of the corners of the room. Walking towards it, the number 16 repeatedly flashed back at her from a small, black screen, as other buttons flashed and some levers appeared to be purposely pulled back. Directing her gaze from the strange machine, to an adjacent transparent door, she looked through the glass, into a room never seen before. Opening the door a little wider, she slowly walked inside the unknown place as she observed her surroundings with an awestruck expression. How come she had never seen this place before..? _'Oh, wait.. now that I think about it, hakase said he'd been working on a new project... He couldn't mean this place, now, could he..?'_ Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted though, as a loud and powerful "bang" resounded in the entire room. Looking back at the sound, she sighed in relief once she realized it had simply been the door, shutting behind her. _'Geez... what a scare..' _Suddenly, a strange, engine-like noise began to be heard in the chamber, as other smaller, but still extremely annoying sounds, went off in unison. Haruka's eyes widened in alert, and she immediately ran back to the glass door, struggling for sometime to get the door opened, but soon realizing in horror that the glass hatch was absolutely locked up. She strongly punched and kicked the door a few times, but the glass proved to be surprisingly thick. She certainly would not be able to smash it into pieces... 

Looking back at a strange scanner-like device in the room, Haruka noticed a sudden light, greenish in color, emerging from the object. The scanner itself was now producing the loudest, and most painful noise in the entire room, as its light was slowly casted through every corner of the laboratory.

Haruka could just stare at the machine in apprehension, having the intense feeling that something just terribly wrong was about to happen. Unfortunately, though, nobody will never _really_ know what actually occurred next; the memories of that moment weren't, and had never been, too clear to the young girl. Haruka was certain though.. that the very last thing she saw, had been a bright, lime-green light, which had casted itself upon her eyes; and almost instantly.. she collapsed...

* * *

Haruka opened her eyes tiredly as she stretched on her bed, making a grunting noise as she rose from the soft sheets. _'Did.. the professor take me home..?'_ Thought the girl confusedly as she gazed at her room with half-lidded eyes, not quite able to fully open them yet. Letting out a long yawn, she stood on her feet as she began to head downstairs. Just when she was almost out the door though, her eyes opened widely and her eyebrows furrowed in shock, as she quickly turned on her heels and looked back at her room. 

_'W-what the..' _Striding back inside, she looked at the bedroom. _Really_ looked at it.

Her furniture, her things, her books and television.. they were all gone. The things that were in that room weren't hers, they looked different, they were different models of everything. From the desk, which was covered with notebooks that she certainly could not recognize, to even the closet. Walking over to such closet and opening its doors widely, she was awestruck by what she saw.

_'These.. t-these aren't my clothes... they're..'_ Pulling out a pair of pants, her cheeks reddened intensively._ 'These are a man's jeans! What in the world..?!'_ The girl turned on her heels, once again, as she looked at the room fearfully. _'W-where... where am I??'_

Quickly exiting the room, Haruka strode through the halls as she realized in shock that this house, strangely enough, was arranged exactly like her own. Not only that, though, but the colors of this house's walls were the same.. and there were even some pieces of furniture that twinned her own home.

The situation was getting more and more strange by the minute though, as she raced down the stairs and realized in almost horror, that her living room was also the same. There were some flowers, which were usually on _her_ living room table, that were currently missing; and this house seemed a bit more empty, but it was the same..! It was the exact, same house!

Haruka could not take it anymore. She ran outside the house, quickly opening the iron gates, and immediately began to run towards Beika's busiest avenue, which formed a perpendicular angle with the street she was currently at. She would get to that street, and run for a few blocks until she reached Reiko's house. She'd finally be safe there.

Arriving at the intersection, her legs suddenly stopped and jaw dropped as she gazed at a shop's set of televisions. They showed the picture of a young man, age 17, student of Teitan High School and detective. According to the news reporter's incontrollable talk, the very last member of a dangerous syndicate had been arrested this very morning, finally concluding the strange organization's crimes.

"...Interestingly enough, after all of these arrests, which may I add, have been taking place continuously during this last week, Kudou Shinichi has impressively resumed his normal life, and is still helping the police, as well as attending Teitan High School regularly."

_'Tei...Teitan..?' _Haruka's heart began to race as her mind put two and two together. The same furniture, the different notebooks and man's clothes in her room, the exact same house, a seventeen-year-old Kudou Shinichi...

Looking back at the TV, a drip of sweat trickled down the side of her temple as she saw the date on the screen.

**"June 14th, 1996"**

* * *

"I still can't believe what's happened..! Abe-sensei was such a nice teacher.." Murmured Ran sadly, as she stared at her lunch. 

"Yeah... These things happen though, Ran.." Commented Shinichi as he gazed at his drink, actually taking a sip after several moments of staring. Looking back at his childhood friend, he soon became concerned as he saw the sad expression on the girl's face. "Oi Ran.. don't be so depressed... he... from what I heard, he had a quick death.."

"Shinichi!"

"Well, I'm just saying.. at least.. he didn't suffer, or anything..." Responded Shinichi defensively. "If... if you want.. I can investigate the case. Find out what really happened to him.." Suggested the boy with hopeful eyes, as Ran raised her head to look at him, the sadness gone a little from her expression. "Really?" Shinichi nodded assuringly, smiling at the caring, and sweetly sensitive girl in front of him.

"Aww.. just look at them, aren't they the sweetest lovebirds, you have _ever_ seen?"

"You got that right, Sonoko-chan!" Commented another girl giddily, as she looked at the childhood friends with a playful glimmer in her eyes.

Both Shinichi and Ran glared at the two giggling girls; a fiery blush on their cheeks, which only worsened and increased in intensity with every passing second. Thankfully for them though, a light knock was heard at the door to their classroom, which managed to distract their teasing classmates. The History teacher, Inoue-sensei, quickly wiped her mouth clean with a napkin and left her food on her desk, walking towards the door and opening it for the person behind it. As soon as she did, a look of confusion crossed her facial features as she found nobody there. Her eyes searched for the knocker for a while, and after a few seconds wondered downwards, noticing with much surprise, a young child at the door. The woman bent down to the girl's eye-level to speak to her, as the whole class began to murmur words of intrigue. What in the world was a kid doing at their class..?

"... Oh sure!" Said the teacher merrily, smiling widely as she turned to look at Shinichi. "Kudou-kun, you have a visitor!"

Shinichi turned around to look at his teacher, his eyebrows raising in surprise as the figure of a small girl slowly appeared before him. She had long, lustrous brown hair, and a round, child-like face. Eyes which resembled the brilliance of a sapphire's and cute, rosy cheeks. About 9 or 10 years old, the girl already had stunning features. She looked so familiar though, Shinichi was sure he knew somebody with a face similar to hers.

Suddenly realizing with surprise, after a few moments of deep observation, Shinichi looked back at Ran's face, and then back at the girl. This child looked exactly like Ran when she had been little! The similarities between the two were so strikingly similar, the kid could perfectly well be a tiny clone of his almost-girlfriend.

"K-Kudou.. Shinichi..?" Asked the young girl, her voice just above a whisper, as she looked at the boy shyly.

Shinichi's eyes darted to the small girl at the sound of his name. "Yes?"

"Good m-morning.. my name is-" _'Hold it.. you can't tell him your last name yet, he'll start asking questions right off the bat..! Just.. get his attention, tell him the story, and then confess..." _A small sigh escaped her lips as she tried to calm down. She was definitely too nervous..!

"My name is Haruka, I'm a student at Teitan Elementary... I came to speak to you, b-because... I need your help with something." Said the girl as she rubbed the material of her school skirt with nervous fingers.

"You need help with a case..?" Wondered Shinichi with a curious expression.

"Well, not.. exactly, no... But it's still relevant to you, trust me." Finished Haruka, smiling sheepishly at the man in front of her.

"Alright, hold on.. let me get a chair for you." Shinichi placed his drink on his desk and swiftly stood up from his chair, smiling politely at the young girl as he walked to the back of the classroom. Haruka took the moment to look at the classroom and its students, realizing that many young adults' eyes were currently on her. She blushed a little at the strong attention, although she had already become _somewhat_ used to people staring. After all, she did have a very famous couple as parents... "Here you go. Please, sit.." Said Shinichi as he lightly tapped the back of the chair. Haruka thanked him and did as she was told, while Shinichi went back to his own seat, right across from hers. "Y-you see... Maybe I should begin with how everything happened.." The girl took a deep breath as she organized her thoughts, wanting to make the narrative as understandable as possible for the detective.

"I was walking home from school today, along with my friend... at a point, we had to separate; she had to continue walking on that street, and I had to start walking on another to make my way home. So anyway... I get to my house and there's nobody there, since both of my parents were working this morning.. so I decided to go to my neighbor's house. I've known him since I was born, and he's always been a great friend of dad's and mom's, so there's no problem with me hanging out with him after school... even if mom and dad aren't at home. Anyways, as I was saying, I go to his house, thinking that maybe he had some fun invention to show me.." "Invention..?" Shinichi questioned with a curious expression, as the girl nodded. "He's a scientist.. an inventor... well, his inventions aren't really anything.. amazing, or flamboyant, but they're fun to play around with..." Shinichi nodded in comprehension, although a strange feeling began to emerge at the bottom of his stomach. There was something about this girl that felt strange. He glanced at Ran as Haruka resumed her narrative, trying to see his friend's expression, and to his surprise, he noted that she also seemed to have a weird look on her face.

Looking back at the child, he paid close attention to her story as he tried to brush off his thoughts. "-so I notice that he's not around the house, and I begin to look for him... Eventually... eventually I arrive at his lab, where he's usually at for most of the time, and I notice a weird-looking machine there, that I had never seen before. It was huge, and it was covered with levers, and screens, and flashing buttons.. but there was also a new door next to the machine. A glass door. So I opened it a little and walked in the room... The place was really dark, there were no lights turned on or anything; it was pretty scary-looking..!" Haruka quivered at the memory as her eyes shut in discomfort, continuing the monologue after a couple of seconds, though. "And suddenly, I heard a really loud noise behind me. When I turned around, I saw that it was just the door, but in a matter of seconds, extremely loud and annoying sounds went off in the room.." "Loud sounds..?" Haruka nodded in response. "I soon realized, they were made by a whole set of machines in the room that had turned on.. and there were a lot of numbers, and lights flashing as well... So I got scared and I ran back to the door, but it was locked, and it wouldn't open... so I tried to kick it down, but the glass was too thick, and I couldn't break it... Shortly after that, the last thing I saw was a green light, and then.. I guess, I fainted.." The girl stared at her skirt with lost eyes, as she thought about what happened, but also of what Kudo Shinichi might say... What his reaction could possibly be... Would he believe her..? This Shinichi didn't know her! What if he thought she was a liar..? She would never be able to take something like that, that's for sure.. "So.. what happened after that?" Asked Shinichi with wonder, snapping the girl out of her thoughts.

"Well... that's where the weird part comes in... I woke up in my bedroom, at my house.. but the furniture in the room was different. The things in there weren't mine, they were.. I don't know, they were just different... And the clothes in the room weren't mine either, they seemed to belong to a boy's... a man's, actually! Uh... so anyways, I started to freak out, and I ran down the stairs, but I realized that everything in the first floor was _also_ the same. Even worse, the furniture was identical..! So practically in a panic, I ran out of the house, and I began to run down the street to see the friend that I had walked home with, when I saw a news broadcast on the way there, and uhm... well, the news were surprising, but the date at the end was certainly the last straw..." Declared the girl with honesty, biting her lips soon after while she looked at the man in front of her with apprehension. This was it...

"The date..? What do you mean by that?" Questioned Shinichi as he crossed his arms, a frown reflecting "detective-mode" already on his face.

"T-they showed... the date; June 14th... 1996."

Shinichi raised his eyebrow in confusion as he gave the girl a questioning look. "That's.. today's date, you know.."

Haruka looked at the ground fearfully as her hands closed into fists, her knuckles slowly turning white. She was afraid of his reaction...

"That's the problem.. Shinichi..." The girl raised her head shyly as she looked at a pair of blue eyes; ones just like her own. "I was born in November.. November 17th... of 2002..."

Even the smallest sounds in the classroom, suddenly stopped. Everybody paused their activities or conversations to stare at the girl with wide eyes; some of the food from their chopsticks, or even mouths, falling to the floor as they gaped at the Elementary school student. Shinichi, for his part, had furrowed his eyebrows in half disconcert, half incertitude. "November.. of 2002..?" The young girl nodded her head as she looked at him nervously.

Shinichi looked at her disbelievingly as he bent down to her eye level; a fully annoyed look already on his face. "Are you trying to tell me that you traveled in time..? That you're from the future?" Questioned the young man once again, his eyes half-lidded in skepticism.

"It.. it's the truth..! I swear!" Claimed Haruka desperately as Shinichi leaned back on his chair, his eyes still looking at her with suspicion. "That's not possible!"

"Of course it's possible, how else would I be here??" Whined the girl back at him. "Besides, why would I bother to come _all_ the way over here, tell you a false story, and claim that not only do I personally know you, but that I am also from the future... Would that make any sense?? At all?" Finished the girl agitatedly, her cheeks flushing and heart pounding from the nervousness she was experiencing.

Shinichi looked at her doubtingly, although, deep down he knew she was right... Coming all the way to his high school to lie to him, would be something incredibly dim-witted to do, and she definitely didn't look like the type of kid to do something of that nature.

Her story, though... how could it be truthful? Never had a person traveled back in time, and suddenly this girl pops out, claiming that she did... It was just too unbelievable. _'You __did__ turn into a child, though..! That has __got__ to be more impossible than something like time-travel!'_ Whispered back a voice in his head, causing for him to sigh in frustration. He knew the stupid voice was probably right...

A sudden thought crossed the detective's mind though, as he remembered what she had said.

_**"...claim that not only do I personally know you-"**_

_'Personally know me? How..?'_ Thought Shinichi confusedly, making him look at the girl in pure bafflement as his mouth opened to express his doubts. "Wait... okay, supposing you _are_ from the future-" "I _am_" Interrupted the girl with a grim look, making Shinichi scratch his cheek and grin nervously as he attempted to rephrase his question, not wanting to anger the girl anymore.

"Why.. are you coming to see me, though? Out of all the people whom you could have visited, why did you come to Teitan High School to talk to me? And how do you know me anyways..?" Asked Shinichi once again as he looked at her inquiringly.

Haruka's eyes widened and her heart began to race; obviously not expecting that question to come up so soon, although she _had_ known he'd eventually ask. Playing with her fingers a little anxiously, she swallowed a few times before speaking up. "I-uhm... well, I... know you because..." Her eyes were directed towards Shinichi, noticing the curiosity in them. It was best to just do it nice and quick, like ripping a band aid.

"My name is Kudou Haruka..." Declared the small brunette, her voice sounding threateningly strong in the unusually intense silence of the classroom. Shinichi's eyes widened considerably while the rest of the class gasped in shock; not even two seconds passing before the students began to whisper in childish wonder and enthusiasm. Ran, for her part, had an absolutely awestruck expression as her heart pounded in excitement; her eyes later setting on Haruka's small figure, then back to Shinichi's, and back again to the child's. _'T-this girl... is she.. is she Shinichi's..?!'_ Ran's expression began to show a hint of nervousness and shock, as she stared at Haruka with an ever increasing curiosity. Looking back at Shinichi to see how _he_ was reacting to the news, she noticed (not with much surprise) a hint of astonishment, but mostly uncertainty and dubiousness in his eyes.

"K-Kudou..?" Murmured Shinichi, his mind already racing with hundreds of thoughts as he slowly remembered her narrative. _'She mentioned a scientist... an inventor... he was her neighbor; could it be..? Agasa-hakase..?'_ Shinichi shook his head as he tried to brush off his thoughts; he wouldn't be so naive.

"So what are you trying to say with that..?" Questioned Shinichi once again, sweat forming on his back from the tension of the situation. "And you still haven't told me the reason why you know who I am..."

"You're my father." Responded Haruka plainly, smiling softly as she noticed the sudden breathless state she had left him in. He should have guessed she was his daughter by now, though, shouldn't he? The Kudou piece had been a pretty big giveaway. _'He probably wanted me to tell him directly, though..'_ Thought the girl reasonably. Examining her hands and fingernails, Haruka chipped off her colorful nail polish as she gave the young man several moments to absorb the information. After all, it wasn't everyday that you meet your future child; he needed time to register what he had learned.. and seen.

After a long time, where Shinichi could just stare at his hands with an awestruck expression, he soon began to recover from the girl's words, and slowly redirect his eyes to Haruka's face. He still seemed skeptical, even after the long moments of intense thought and silence, though he appeared to be willing to speak now. "Proof" muttered Shinichi lowly, a doubting expression reaching his face as he carefully observed her.

"N-nani..?" Asked Haruka, looking at him innocently.

"I need proof that you're who you say you are, Haruka-san..." The girl flinched at the "san," although she still attempted to do what she was told. Thinking hard for several moments, Haruka tried her hardest to come up with a good way to prove that she was Shinichi's daughter, however, not being too successful at it. An acute melody suddenly went off though, destroying her concentration and the strange (and somewhat uncomfortable) silence in the room. Recognizing the tone as her cell phone's, Haruka politely apologized for the interruption as she reached inside her jacket pocket and took out a thin, technological, and tiny object. _'How in the world am I getting calls, even after traveling to the past?'_ Thought Haruka with a sweatdrop, deciding to answer the call anyways as she flipped the cellphone open. "Moshi moshi?"

_"Haruka?"_ Asked a boyish voice on the other line, bringing a surprised smile to the girl's face. "Kenshin!"

_"Oi! Where are you? 'Tousan and 'kaasan are worried sick about you! And hakase said something about you maybe getting in that time-travel machine of his..!"_

Haruka sweatdropped nervously as a strange laugh escaped her lips. "W-well... it's something like that... it was an accident, but don't tell mom and dad that I-"

_"-traveled in time? They already know, hakase accidentally told them." _Confessed Haruka's brother plainly as the girl's expression became panicky. "No way, he didn't!!" _"Yup, he told me to tell you he's sorry... so hey! How far did you travel back? Agasa said something about you traveling 16 years back in time.. is that true?"_ Questioned the boy enthusiastically, suddenly reminding Haruka of that flashing 16 she had seen on the machine. _'If I would have known...'_ Thought the girl amusedly, returning her thoughts to the conversation after a few seconds.

"Yeah, apparently I did travel 16 years back in time... 'Tousan is 17 right now!" Informed the girl merrily as she smiled widely at Shinichi, although he was too busy blushing at the word "'tousan."

_"You're kidding! Does he look any different?" _"Nah, not really... Amazing, huh? He looks the same over a period of 16 years, that's pretty good preservation, I tell you!" Exclaimed Haruka with an amused laugh. Unfortunately for her, though, her smile soon faded as her eyes noticed a certain figure. A _very familiar_ figure... _'Oh my gosh... How.. how did I not see her before..?' _

_"Haruka, are you there?"_ Questioned a voice through the phone, partially bringing her back to Earth. "Y-yeah, I'm here.. Kenshin, you won't believ-"

_"I'm sorry Haruka, but I gotta run..! Listen, the professor asked me to tell you. This whole time-travel thing... it'll only last for about 3 hours. Once the three hour time limit expires, you will feel drowsy and somehow transport back here. Don't ask me how it works, the professor didn't specify..." _Explained the boy over the phone.

"Oh.. alright... Do I have to be anywhere in particular before I fall asleep?"

_"Ideally, at the place you first woke up at... Oh, and by the way, you've been in the past for two hours and a half already.. according to Agasa's machine, anyway.. so that means you only have a half hour left.."_

"A half hour?!" _'...Did I really sleep that much?' _Thought Haruka in disbelief, a small drop of sweat already on her forehead. _"Oh, and one more thing..." _Murmured Kenshin with a serious tone. "Yeah..?"

_"I'm guessing you already told dad that you're his daughter..?"_ Haruka's eyes widened in surprise as her jaw slightly dropped. "How did you know?"

_"I can hear some muffled voices of young people in the background... they're not kids, but they're certainly not adults... Furthermore, if you returned 16 years back in time, both 'tousan and 'kaasan would have to be about 17 years old; meaning they're still in high school. You'd probably try to find them, since you're a minor and dislike to be alone, and tell them about everything that's happened! Besides, our last name is Kudou.. it would be more convenient to introduce yourself to dad first, since we have the family names in common." _Haruka snickered knowingly, looking at Shinichi with half-lidded eyes. _'Another detective? Sheesh.. it's all your fault 'tousan..!' _Thought the girl humorously, her attention going back to her conversation though, as she heard a boyish voice once again. _"Anyhow, that's not the point... Let me ask you Haruka, you didn't tell mom yet that you're her daughter also, right?"_

"No, not yet... Actually, I was just about to-" _"Don't!!!"_ Screamed back Kenshin, making her quickly take her cellphone away from her ear, and later glare at the tiny object. "Oi!! You don't have to yell at me though..!" Haruka whined back.

_"Sorry sorry! It's just that you're not supposed to tell anyone about mom yet.."_ Responded Kenshin with a more calm voice.

"Why not?"

_"Just imagine. You tell 'tousan that you're his daughter, that he actually has another son as well, that he had children when he was 23-years-old, and that he got married when he was just 18. Not only that, but he married the girl who happens to be his childhood friend, and considering that he's seventeen right now, then all of this would mean, that he's going to get married next year. So tell me, how in the world is he going to react when he finds out all of this?"_

"He'll freak out" responded the girl with an amused laugh.

_"Exactly! Besides, you're in their high school right now.. and if memory serves me right, 'tousan and 'kaasan said something about their classmates being especially obnoxious during that time. So, having said that, if their classmates find out mom and dad got married and all..."_

"We would never hear the end of it." Finished Haruka with half-lidded eyes.

_"Mhmm... So really, it's best not to say anything about mom... Just so 'tousan and 'kaasan don't die from absolute embarrassment or anything... Alright?" _

"I _should_ be able to tell 'tousan though, right? Just him..?" Questioned Haruka hopefully. "I mean, it'll be impossible to talk to him without mentioning either you, mom, or him... I just.. won't tell him anything too obvious, like mom's name... okay? Chances are, though, that he already suspects who she is.." Finished the girl with a small smile on her lips.

_"You're probably right... and it's not like he ever fell in love with anyone else anyways, so he's _got_ to know who mom is. Anyways, I really have to go now..! Just be careful with what you say, okay? 'Tousan's ear is pretty sensitive.."_ Commented Kenshin with a laugh.

"Don't worry, I will... See you later!"

_"Bye"_ Said a small male voice just before she shut the tiny cellphone off. Turning around to look at Shinichi, she smiled at him happily as she began to walk back towards her seat. "That was my brother, Kenshin. He just called to say hi."

Shinichi's eyes widened in surprise. "You... you have a brother, too?"

"Yeah... he's the same age as me. We're twins.." Responded the girl simply, as she sat on her chair as comfortably as she could. Straightening her skirt so that nothing would reveal, she looked up at him with a merry smile. "You know, you look almost exactly like 'tousan... It's funny, you haven't changed a thing!"

Shinichi smiled with a hint of uncertainty. "Really..? Well, how old is your father?" Asked the detective with wonder, wanting to see if he could get any information out of the girl.

"Thirty-three... We were born when him and mom were 23." Stated the girl, her eyes widening considerably as she realized the information that she had slipped. She had mentioned her mother's age! That was everything _but_ good! Haruka noticed as Shinichi's eyes acquired a strange shine, his hand supporting his chin as he brushed his fingers against his jaw. _'No! He's in detective-mode! Change the subject, change it quickly!'_ "So! I completely forgot about earlier. You still want me to give you some proof, ne?" Said the girl with a smile, although her mind screamed _'Bad choice!'_ since she hadn't yet thought of a good way to prove their relationship.

Shinichi looked at her with an unreadable expression for a while, his eyes only filled with thought as he remained silent for a few seconds. Smiling assuredly, the boy turned to look at the blackboard as he rested his chin on his hand once again. "You don't have to.."

Haruka's eyes widened in astonishment, as the other students' did too; the young man's sudden change of thought surprising everybody in the classroom. "I.. I don't?" Whispered Haruka doubtingly, all the while wondering why he had finally believed what she said.

"No, you don't..." Repeated Shinichi, turning to look at her with a small grin. "You were saved by your cellphone." Said the man as he directed his eyes towards the tiny object in the girl's hands.

"My cellphone?"

"It's a completely different model than the ones we have here. Not only that, but it's too small, too thin, and the ringtone is too advanced. You wouldn't have been able to buy something like that anywhere. Such a device is not available.." Stated Shinichi simply as he took a sip of his drink. "Oh.. I see" muttered Haruka as her eyes turned into small dots. She hadn't thought of that one..!

Shinichi soon placed his drink back on his desk; his body now facing her completely as he crossed his arms; a penetrating, but also curious look on his face.. "So... you're my daughter?" Asked Shinichi while he swallowed roughly. It was hard to use the term "daughter" for a girl who claimed he was her father.

Haruka nodded with a shy smile, although she actually felt extremely relieved that the tension had lessened... Well, to a certain point, anyway.

Shinichi glanced at Ran for a couple of seconds, an affectionate (and even wishful) look on his face as he quickly looked away; his cheeks blushing lightly as a thought occurred to him. "H-Haruka-san.."

"Please.. just Haruka." Interrupted the girl with a grin. "'san' is too polite... it makes me feel like I'm talking to a stranger!"

Smiling sympathetically, the young man resumed his question. "You-uhm.. mentioned your mother..." At that instant, the students in the classroom inclined a little on their desks with interest, wanting to hear every word from this particular conversation. "What is... what's her n-name..?" Managed to ask Shinichi as his cheeks turned a bright crimson, although he dared not take back his question.

"Uhm... well..." Haruka lowered her eyes, observing no place in particular as her fingers tugged at her necklace nervously. Unbeknownst to her, the whole class was watching her every move as they awaited for her response; yet, she could very well feel the intense gaze of two people in particular. With a small smile, she knew exactly to whom those two pairs of penetrating, and even hopeful eyes belonged to. Raising her head to look at Shinichi, she smiled sheepishly as her head tilted a little. "I'm... I'm not supposed to say... I'm sorry.." Responded Haruka with a small voice, suddenly feeling really guilty for not saying anything about her mother.

"Why not..?" Asked Ran disappointedly, quickly covering her lips in embarrassment though, as her cheeks turned bright red; realizing that she had made a big slip. Shinichi blushed madly as he looked at her in surprise, and Haruka smiled knowingly while her cheeks acquired a darker tone as well. She knew (from the shy reactions they both had) that neither of them were officially together yet, which to her, only made the situation a lot more interesting. It did make things a little harder though, since she had to be even _more_ careful not to slip any information. Anything about marriage, and especially kids, would certainly embarrass them to a great extent. Better not to let them go through that...

"Well... it's just because I really wouldn't like to make things embarrassing for you, Shinichi.." Responded the girl as she directed her gaze towards the aforementioned young man; a cordial smile on her face. "And actually, neither to mom..! Imagine, if I tell you who she is, then the whole school will probably know within a matter of minutes... I don't know. I think, personally, I'd find it a bit embarrassing for the whole school to know whom I will marry in the future, as well as have two babies with... Wouldn't you?" Questioned Haruka, looking at him curiously.

"Of... of course.." Murmured Shinichi as he stared at no place in particular; a deep and fiery blush covering his cheeks. Her statement didn't manage to extinguish his inquisitiveness, though, as her incredibly similar appearance and personality constantly reminded him of, not only his own self when he'd been a child, but also of his childhood friend. Haruka was incredibly similar to Ran.. so much, it was even scary to watch her. The strong resemblance wasn't _the_ actual factor bothering him though; it was the suggestiveness of such similarities that made his heart race and face bloom. Why in the world would Haruka look so much like Ran? Could it be a mere coincidence..? _'Yeah... an incredibly_ huge_ coincidence! Not only is she similar to the girl I love, want to marry, and spend the rest of my life with, but her name happens to be Kudou, she expresses herself like I used to, and she blushes when she looks at the both of us with that.. particularly affectionate look! Yeah, Shinichi.. a coincidence!'_ Thought the boy sarcastically, mentally snorting at himself.

"So tell me about your brother.." Requested Shinichi as he tried to brush off his previous thoughts. "What is he like?"

"Kenshin..?" Questioned Haruka, tapping her lips in thought. "He looks exactly like you, actually..!" Exclaimed the girl as she giggled in amusement. "Hmm... well, he's really intelligent and good in sports... has a whole set of admirers after him already, and he's pretty good in deduction... Let's see.. what else..? He likes to read mystery novels... is extremely cocky and arrogant, but he can be a really caring and sensitive person... when he wants to, that is!" Commented Haruka; half-lidded eyes and a knowing grin on her face. "Oh, and he's the captain of the karate team as well..."

"K-karate..?" Murmured both Shinichi and Ran, a little drop of sweat trickling down the side of their faces simultaneously.

"Whoa! Hold it right there! Did you say your brother was the captain of the _karate_ team??" Exclaimed one of the boys in the class, his eyes widening in shock.

"Uh... y-yeah..?" Responded Haruka nervously.

The whole class began to practically scream their heads off in enthusiasm; some boys taking the moment to shake and pat Shinichi happily, as the girls hugged Ran in a giddy manner. Ran's friends would even go to the extent of screaming "She's your daughter! She's GOT to be your daughter!", making Ran not only increasingly mad, but also turning her into a very ripe tomato. Shinichi's face was probably as crimson as hers by now, as he yelled and pushed away the teasing guys around him.

"ALRIGHT! That's ENOUGH!" Yelled Inoue-sensei with an authoritarian tone, making all of the students freeze in their seats. "I can't believe the level of immaturity in this class!! I don't want to hear a single loud voice from now on, is that clear??" Said the woman imperatively, her hands at her sides in anger. Turning to look at Haruka a few moments later, she supported her upper body on her knees as she inclined towards the girl's figure, her knees slightly bent. "I'm really sorry for having to hear that, uhm.. is it.. Kudou-san..?" Whispered Inoue with incertitude. "Yes" responded Haruka with a small, nervous smile as she quickly nodded her head. This woman was scary..!

A sudden knock on the door was heard for the second time that day, making most of the people in the now-silent classroom look back at the main entrance. Walking vigorously, Inoue took a moment to look back at her students as her fingers wrapped themselves around the doorknob. "Well, I didn't say that you can't speak..! You may talk to each other, but don't raise your voice, alright?" Said the woman with an amiable smile, opening the door immediately after that. Noticing that the person behind the door was just a school administrator, the students soon began to talk animatedly and resume their conversations; most of them, one way or another, mentioning something about teachers and their typical "mood swings." Meanwhile, Shinichi sighed in relief as he noted his classmates' apparent disinterest (or perhaps, severe case of amnesia), regarding karate captains and scarily-open accusations of parenthood.

Ran, for her part, continued to watch Haruka attentively; her cheeks turning red from time to time as she remembered the words "She's your daughter! She's your daughter!" from her overly-hormonal friends. How embarrassing that had been..! _'And Shinichi was right next to me, listening to these crazy girls screaming..!! Ughhhh... Okay, Ran! Just think of something else...'_ Said the young woman to herself, shutting her eyes tightly though the deep blush was still coloring her cheeks. Swallowing down the nervous knot in her throat, she opened her eyes once again to look at the petite, female version of her near-boyfriend. She was pressing some buttons on her cellphone (if that thing could be called a phone.. it looked more like a fat credit card to her..!), and calculating something with her small fingers as she moved one by one with a thoughtful expression. How cute she looked..!

Deciding to speak up, so as not to waste any more time from this precious opportunity, Ran parted her lips as the girl (apparently finished with what she was doing) closed her tiny phone with a satisfied look. "H-Haruka-chan..." Began Ran a little hesitantly. Haruka raised her head instantly, her cheeks coloring the tiniest bit and a small drop of sweat going down her cheek, as soon as the two girls made eye-contact. Why did she suddenly seem so nervous..?

"Yes, 'ka.. I mean, Ran.. san..?" Responded the girl awkwardly as her lips curved into a somewhat embarrassed smile. She almost slipped..! Shinichi's eyes immediately widened and his eyebrows knit together though; the young girl's response making him suspicious yet again. There was something weird about what she said...

"You haven't told us anything about yourself yet..!" Continued Ran with a cheery voice, looking at the surprised child with an all-too motherly smile. "What do you like to do? What are you like..?"

"Me? Uhmmm..." Haruka tapped her chin thoughtfully as she directed her gaze towards the ceiling; her legs swinging back and forth in a childish manner as she made little humming sounds. "Weeell... Let me see... Umm... Okay." With sudden decisiveness, the girl slapped her thighs as a broad smile formed on her lips. "Alright. I'm a student at Teitan Elementary. I'm 10 years old and I'm in 5th grade... I'm the captain of the girls' soccer team, although my coach wants to switch me to the guys' team..."

"Really..? Why is that..?" Questioned Shinichi curiously. "I guess I'm good at it... He thinks I have more potential, and wants me to play with the boys instead.." Said Haruka with a skeptical expression.

"Wait, that's messed up..! By doing that, he's practically saying that the guys are better in soccer than the girls..! That'll be terrible for the team..." Complained Shinichi in disapproval. "I know... that's exactly what 'tousan says! ... Well, duh, you _are _him.." Said the girl with an amused laugh. "But anyways, I'm not going to switch to their team. It'd be too awkward to be with guys only.." Finished Haruka decisively, though a slight shiver went down her spine at the mere thought of being with so many boys. Children and their phobia of the opposite sex... Really, they'd never change!

"Anyway!" Exclaimed the girl with a sweatdrop. "Umm.. what else can I say..? School's fine with me. Even though it might get boring most of the time, I still get good grades, so that's all that matters... and I get to see my friends; the best part of it all..! Although I don't tend to be around them while Kenshin's with me."

"Why is that?" Asked Ran curiously. "They always act differently.. constantly blushing and giggling like idiots; I've never seen girls behave so stupidly around a boy... I swear, they are slowly driving me insane!" Exclaimed Haruka madly as Ran let out a laugh. "It's not funny!" Continued the girl, although an amused smirk formed on her lips, causing for Ran to giggle even harder. "I'm sorry, Haruka-chan! It's just that I can perfectly understand what you mean!" Leaning in closer to the child, she grinned knowingly as she murmured "I very well know a young man, just as sensational among the ladies as your brother, sitting right next to me..!" as she winked at the girl playfully. Haruka giggled in amusement as she looked at a clueless Shinichi. "It's genetics, I tell you!" Exclaimed Ran with a wide smile. "But anyways, your friends are doing that because they like him! Take it as a compliment."

Haruka snorted in disapproval. "They're overly infatuated.. it's getting ridiculous." Said the girl with annoyance, making several students grin humorously. This girl was so much like Kudou..!

"Speaking of infatuation; do you have a boyfriend, Haruka-chan..?" Asked Ran with a small smile, oblivious to the motherly expression that had formed on her face once again.

"Oh no..!! No way!" Denied Haruka flatly with a faint blush in her cheeks. "Boys are gross! _And_ annoying!" Ran giggled at the sudden outburst, though she had expected a response of that sort. Haruka was a child, after all..! It was normal for a young girl to not have any special feelings for someone. Heck, she hadn't felt any romantic feelings for anyone at her age either! But of course, she just _had_ to turn 16, and get her hormones madly hyper for a boy... For Shinichi, of all boys! _'Can't really blame myself, though... Shinichi is... Uhm... well, anyways, I really don't feel like blushing... Besides, at least I'm not the only crazy girl after him...'_ Thought Ran in amusement, though her lips were still curved into a hopelessly romantic smile.

"Students... listen everybody..! Due to the unfortunate turn of events, related to Abe-sensei's passing, a substitute teacher will be coming shortly to temporarily replace Abe-san. He will be teaching you the corresponding lessons for this week, and will come in a couple of minutes, at most. So you might want to begin wrapping up things, and finish your lunches, before the teacher comes." A couple of students stood up to talk to Inoue-san at that moment, though Shinichi wasn't sure what they discussed; he had already diverted his attention back to the young girl.

"So.. tell us more about yourself, Haruka-chan. I'm awfully curious." Requested Shinichi as a small, sheepish smile reached his face.

Haruka grinned knowingly, immediately detecting her father's typical inquisitiveness. "Well... let me see... I like to read the millions of mystery novels at home.. oh, and especially the files of murder cases that we have in there.. I can spend days just reading them! And I like to read the loads of medical and psychology books as well; they're very interesting.."

"Why do you have so many psychology books?" Suddenly asked Ran. "Oh, because 'tousan is a criminal profiler for the police force, as well as a detective, of course... Heh, guess I forgot to mention that!" Said the girl embarrassedly with a sheepish smile.

Shinichi's eyes widened in surprise. "When did your father become a profiler?" Questioned the young man with renewed interest. "Uhmm... I think about the time when he turned-uhhh... let's see.. I think it was 24..? Yeah, I think that was it... Yeah, I remember now; he achieved the doctoral degree in Psychology when Kenshin and I were a year old. That's right. And after that, the police always asked him to set up profiles of the criminals, based on his knowledge of the criminal mind, as well as the evidence in the crime scenes." Said Haruka with certainty. Shinichi and Ran looked at each other in awe; neither of them had expected anything on psychology degrees..!

Clearing her throat decisively, Sonoko inclined over her desk to speak to Haruka as she supported her upper body on her elbows; a wide and mischievous smile already on her lips. "What about your mom, chibi-chan? What does _she_ do?" Asked Sonoko with a suggestive grin.

Haruka turned to look at the light-brown-haired girl, her lips already parting to respond, until they suddenly made eye-contact. Haruka's expression quickly turned into one of surprise, as she immediately recognized the familiar face. "Sonoko-obachan..!" (1)

"Huh..?" Muttered Sonoko in confusion, although Shinichi's heart quickly accelerated in realization. The girl's words had more or less confirmed his suspicions...

"How do you know Sonoko's name, Haruka?" Questioned Shinichi with a nervous expression, as a small drop of sweat trickled down his back. He needed to know the truth. Haruka's eyes widened greatly at the sound of his words, realizing the careless mistake that she had made. Biting her lower lip more than a little anxiously, she watched Shinichi in apprehension as she considered what to do.

He probably knew by now... Her mother's identity. Really, if it weren't for her sensibility, she would have already made a quick and lame excuse to cover up her slip; but Shinichi's inquiring (and almost pleading..!) eyes were practically begging her to confess, to assure him that her mother really _was_ that person!

Shifting her gaze to the ground, a sudden wave of guilt rushed through her once again. She had to think. There had to be a way to just... reassure him that things really _would_ turn out the way he wanted.. after all she knew, that was all he actually needed. But how to tell him..?

Suddenly, Haruka's heart skipped a beat and face lit up as a perfect idea occurred to her. In the meantime, the door to the classroom swiftly opened for the umpteenth time that day, letting in a small and shy-looking man, probably in his twenties, inside the classroom. Several students quickly recognized him as Yamada-sensei, one of the many substitute teachers in Teitan. Realizing that he hadn't much time left before class begun, Shinichi turned his attention back to the girl, his eyebrows raising as he noticed the overly-satisfied smile that she had on her face, as she neatly sat down on her chair. What had she done..?

Shinichi quickly dismissed her strange change of attitude though. "Haruka, you're not answering me..." Complained the young man with half-lidded eyes, making most of his classmates stop talking to look at the two Kudous. Haruka laughed nervously as a huge sweatdrop formed on her head; she had to hold on, just for a little longer! Suddenly, other students began to bombard the poor girl with questions though, asking her things like "who's your mom?!", "how do you know Suzuki's name??" and "is it really true that Kudou married Mouri-san??"... Just _where_ they had gotten that last one from, she didn't have a clue. But still, Haruka was practically panicking from the sudden insistence of her parents' classmates. If they kept on being this persistent, she would probably not even last for a minute..!

An annoying beeping noise suddenly went off in the class though, making everybody stop to look at the object causing such noise. Taking her cellphone from her pocket, Haruka pushed a button to stop the irritating sound. "It's my alarm.." Explained the girl, looking at both Shinichi and Ran as she spoke. "Kenshin told me that I'd only be here for another half hour, so I set up an alarm as a reminder of when my time would be up..." The girl began to have a nervous look on her face as she slowly stood up from her chair. If she could get out of that classroom, without being forced to openly reveal her mother's identity, then her plan would go on perfectly. The problem was, just how would she manage to leave..? Should she explain the whole situation to her parents and hope that they wouldn't ask? Or simply make a run for it, hoping the best?

"So you're leaving now?" Asked Ran disappointedly. "Um, ah.. w-well... yeah.." muttered Haruka with a small smile, her feet slowly taking her to the exit. Just as she thought in relief though, that everybody had somehow forgotten the previous events, Shinichi spoke up. "Hold on, Haruka-chan!"

His voice made her jump nervously; soon after stopping Haruka dead on her tracks as she scratched her head embarrassedly. "Yes?"

Walking over to the girl, he bent down to her eye-level as his cheeks gained a rosy shade. Shinichi's voice was just barely above a whisper. "I.. I know you don't want to tell me your mother's name and.. t-that's okay... I understand your reasons, and it's perfectly fine. Could.. could you just tell me, though..." Shinichi suddenly sighed as he tried to get his words out. "How... did you know Ran's name? I didn't introduce you to her, and nobody called her by her name while you were here..." Managed to murmur Shinichi, his cheeks a fiery red from the suggestiveness of his words. Never would he ask Haruka if Ran was her mother, even if that _was _the main question gnawing his insides. But, in a way.. the manner in which he'd asked; or rather, the reason why he'd asked such a question... His real intentions had been as clear as water. Even to a ten-year-old.

Haruka smiled warm-heartedly, detecting almost immediately her father's current romantic insecurity. Thank goodness she had left that message for him..! Turning on her heels not too enthusiastically as she headed out the door, Haruka glanced at the young version of her parents for the last time. "I think you'll be able to figure it out.. ne? Tantei-san?" Said the brunette with a cheerful smile. "Good luck to you..!!" Exclaimed Haruka, winking at him playfully as she closed the door behind herself.

"Good luck.." Whispered Shinichi with half-lidded eyes at the now closed door; putting his hands in his pockets while he returned to his seat disappointedly. _'Damn it... that was my chance.'_ "Shinichi"

Shinichi looked at Ran's face interrogatively as he approached her. "I don't know if this is Haruka-chan's or not.." Said his friend as she handed him a piece of paper; it had a few words scribbled on it. "It was on the chair she was sitting on..." Shinichi unfolded the paper curiously, his jaw slightly dropping at the sight of the meaningful words left behind.

**'tousan had said that the B.O.'s codename for her was Angel. **

Shinichi smiled in pleasure as he silently thanked the donor of the note; that simple, but so significant message. Letting out a sigh of relief, he folded the paper once again and tucked it in his pocket. "What does it mean?" Asked Ran as she noticed the knowing look on his face. "I don't know..." Responded Shinichi as casually as he could, although his cheeks quickly gained a crimson shade as he looked at her.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling the truth..?" Muttered Ran with an annoyed expression. "And are you blushing..?" She added as she closely looked at him; a clueless expression on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about..!" Replied Shinichi playfully; a teasing grin on his lips as he sat back down on his seat. Ran simply sighed in resignation, looking at her childhood friend with half-lidded eyes while she sat on her own chair.

_'I don't think I'll _ever_ understand men..' _

_

* * *

_

Author's Note:

(1) Obachan/ obasan auntie

* * *

_Hi everybody! That was probably the most random chapter I've written so far... xDD _

_Anyways! I'm sorry for the long wait! n.nUU I've been exceedingly busy.. family visiting, homework, a bunch of projects, tests, yadda, yadda, yadda... Anyhow, let's hope the next chapter won't take so long! Oh, and the setting won't be in Teitan, I promise.. xDDD There's some kind of obsession with that school, I swear! It's getting sad! n.nUUUU _

_Anyway, see ya next time guys!! _

_Take care! n.n_


	6. Escapade

_Well... When you probably thought you'd gotten rid of me, I came out, fresh and new, into the world of fanfiction again! xD Poor you... n.nUUU  
__I hope you like this chapter... I had been reading "The Picture of Dorian Gray" while I was writing this, which I must proudly confess, boosted my enthusiasm and capability to describe physical appearance and the commonplace in considerable amounts..! I needed that greatly, and how happy I am that I found a book capable of reviving that aspect of my personality..! Yes, giddiness is the feeling that I've been expecting lately. Don't worry; it'll come.. xD  
__Well, enough with the monologue! This chapter was requested by Mr. Mathew, and he shall get to read it after the admirable amounts of patience that he has demonstrated throughout the past months. Nevertheless, it is dedicated to all of my readers with much affection, and I hope that you find it worthwhile!  
__Thank you for reading!!  
_

_**Disclaimer:**__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** _Escapade_

**Summary:**_ Sweet love... it can even be scented through the ocean air._

* * *

It was fairly dark. The only visibility in the small room, originated from a thin and weak stream of moonlight, which casted itself through the window and covered a small portion of the carpet in white. The air was mild and calm; there were no signs of movement in the hotel. Nevertheless, a young woman mindlessly broke the once-deathly silence by turning on her squeaky bed for the umpteenth time that night. She buried her face on her pillow with force, a somewhat saddening attempt to fall asleep as she lay flat on her stomach, though a hopeless sigh of desperation quickly escaped her lips after merely a few seconds of awaiting the nonexistent drowse. Nothing moved once again, and silence reigned; the even and quiet respiration from four girls being the only sounds in the room. 

Ran sighed impatiently once again as she clutched the pillow tightly against her face; although finally giving up after a whole minute sluggishly ticked by. Turning around so that she now lay on her back, she tossed the sheets off of her frame and gazed at the bed on top of her own; the one in which Sonoko was currently sleeping in. How she wished she'd be able to rest like her friend right now...

Looking out the window while she still lay on her bed, she watched the sea's powerful waves as they pounded against the coastline with aggression; their sound being so strong, she could faintly hear them from her room. Rising from her old-fashioned bed, and making a few squeaks here and there in the process, she silently walked to the window to get a closer look; taking a few seconds to watch the beautiful sea and starry sky in pure admiration. How wonderful that her class had decided to travel to Izu for their school trip..! Spend a relaxing week under the sun, breathing fresh air, and having fun in the water...

Ran bit her lips in uncertainty as a more than tempting idea suddenly occurred to her. Turning her gaze to her sleeping friends, she rubbed the material of her nightshirt nervously as she considered whether or not to take a quick walk to the beach. She knew she wasn't supposed to leave her room, and if they ever found out she'd left, she would definitely get in trouble... On the other hand though, she was pretty certain that nobody would notice her absence.. not at such a late hour of the night anyway. And she _did_ need a distraction right now; after all, she'd _never_ be able to fall asleep in that hotel room... Not anytime soon!

With sudden decisiveness, Ran walked away from the window as quietly as possible; casually taking off the loose-fitting shirt so it wouldn't get covered in sand later. Wearing only a dark blue bikini now, she neatly folded the garment and left it on her bed, turning on her heels and tip-toeing her way to the door as silently as possible. Once in front of the exit, she looked at her friends attentively as her careful fingers embraced the coldness of the doorknob. Turning it while she unconsciously held her breath, she swiftly stepped outside and closed the door with great care; letting out a sigh of relief as she began to walk through the corridors. Not even 20 seconds had gone by, before Ran reached the top of the stairways which led directly to the sea. Quickly walking down their steps, she opened the door which led to the street, letting out a gasp of surprise as a sudden gust of wind powerfully rushed in. Once outside, she closed the door behind and began to walk down the sandy asphalt of the street; her feet touching the actual cool sand of the beach after about a minute of walking.

The wind was a little stronger at this location, and the beach was merely illuminated by the moon's pale glow. Ran smiled in admiration as she observed the millions of shining stars in the sky; each one sparkling giddily in its own peculiar beauty, as some of them even formed well-known patterns in the darkness. Directing her gaze to the sea in never-ending awe, her lips parted unconsciously as she gaped in amazement at the sight of the waves. The sea was absolutely gorgeous tonight; glimmering with the delicate reflection of the moon, and covered in a mysterious glitter as the waves moved energetically to the shore.

Snapping out of her stupor after some time though, Ran observed the rest of the beach with a cautious look as she searched for any nearby strangers, noticing almost immediately the perfectly outlined figure of a person sitting near the shoreline. Supposing from the wideness of that individual's back, and possible short hair (she couldn't really tell), Ran assumed that it was probably a male. Oddly enough though, her eyes acquired a strange shine as she recognized those shoulders, that sitting position. Taking a few steps towards the man while in a mild state of reverie, her heart fluttered in excitement as his features became more and more familiar. Could.. could it be..?

Maybe she had made some sounds, perhaps he'd just sensed her presence; either way, the man's arms fell at his sides and he buried his fingers in the sand, as he slowly turned his head to look at her. His eyes suddenly became very wide, a pleased smile soon finding its way to his lips as he slowly stood up and brushed the sand off his bathing suit. "Ran, what are you doing here?" Questioned Shinichi curiously as he approached her with a smile.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to get some fresh air... What are _you_ doing here, Shinichi? You should be in bed.." Responded Ran with a slightly teasing tone of voice, though her eyes still looked at him very tenderly.

"Couldn't sleep either.." Murmured back the boy as he stood right in front of her; merely a few centimeters separating the two of them as he brushed his hand against her cheek.

With a sudden wave of increasing boldness, Shinichi gave her his typical grin as he snaked his arms around her waist, bringing their bodies closer together, as his eyes penetrated Ran's romantically. The girl's hands slowly went over his clavicles, shoulders, and after a few seconds, wrapped her arms around his neck. "Can't sleep if you're not next to me, Ran.." Murmured Shinichi teasingly as he kissed her cheek, making her blush and look away. "You're such a child..." she responded with a shy whisper, though a small grin had already formed on her rose-petaled lips. Grunting in response, Shinichi continued to kiss her cheeks and jaw lovingly; soon after, slowly moving along the sensitive area between her jaw and neck. Grinning satisfactorily as a moan-like sound escaped the girl's lips, he buried his hands in her long hair, as he returned to kiss her in the mouth; the touch becoming alarmingly more and more fervent by the second. Placing her hand on his cheek, Ran blushed madly as she tried to end the kiss; managing to separate their lips after several moments. "Shin-.. Shinichi.. somebody might see us.." She adverted shyly with a small, embarrassed smile as her glowing eyes searched around them. Unfortunately for her though, she wasn't able to fully focus her vision, for he was kissing the delicate corners of her mouth now.

"There's nobody here besides us, Ran.." Murmured Shinichi as he embraced her even closer and continued to kiss her lips "no one can see us.." groaned the man assuredly as he deepened the kiss; his persistence making her heart throb in pleasure, as she grasped his soft hair blissfully. Staying in that position for some time, the two young adults fully concentrated their senses on each other; somehow forgetting all about the so-very public location they were in as their embrace became tighter, and lips accelerated their rhythm.

Nearly 5 minutes later, Ran suddenly parted her lips from Shinichi's as she placed her hands on his chest. "C-can we just.. go somewhere else..? Pleasepleaseplease Shinichi?" Practically begged Ran as she smiled at him pleadingly; a dark blush on her cheeks from the embarrassment of asking, though she didn't dare to take back her question. Shinichi looked at her with half-moon eyes as he grinned knowingly. "I don't see anybody here though, Ran.." stated Shinichi matter-of-factly, looking at the rest of the beach to double-check. Returning his gaze to Ran, his eyes quickly widened and a nervous drop of sweat formed on his forehead as he saw the puppy-dog-look she was giving him. "Pretty please? Shinichi..?" Said Ran as she closely hugged his arm, making his cheeks turn bright red at the soft feeling of her curves. The fact that chocolate strands of hair would playfully brush her face, her cheeks were colored in an attractive rosy shade, and that small, navy blue bikini effectively teased his amorous eyes... Well, it certainly didn't make matters any easier...

Diverting his gaze elsewhere, Shinichi muttered a simple "okay, okay.." with highly glowing cheeks, as he let Ran pull him along. A "Thank you..!!" being the girl's cordial response as she happily kissed his warmed cheek, she casually wrapped her arm around his own and began to look for a more-or-less isolated place to stay.

After walking for a small while along the shore line, Shinichi parted his lips to speak as his eyes caught sight of an interesting-looking spot. "What about that place..?" He asked, pointing at a dark and uninhibited patio, approximately 30 meters away from where they were.

"Isn't that property of that small hotel, though..?" Wondered Ran with an unsure expression, looking at Shinichi inquiringly. "Hmm.. well, we'll just have to see, ne?" Said Shinichi as a playful grin formed on his lips, pulling her arm cheerfully as he guided her to the isolated terrace.

Reaching their destination merely a few moments later, Shinichi quickly observed his surroundings with an interested expression while Ran stood closely next to him. The outdoor area obviously belonged to its adjacent, local hotel; the quality and variety of the furniture, nevertheless, being absolutely outstanding. There were several wooden chairs, covered in white and cream-colored cushions, while their corresponding ottomans stood before them. Rustic, yet simple tables, large enough to only hold a couple of drinks, were covered in elegantly embroidered silk cloths as they were placed between each set of chairs. Stepping inside the patio, while suddenly coming in contact with the stone floor, Shinichi observed the area up-close along with Ran as he held her hand with care. Large plants were visible, from the well-known to the exotic, and decorated the area with a lively mood as they added pleasing, vibrant colors, in addition to their renowned and delicate beauty, to the oasis-like patio. Ran smiled at the sight as she once again, diverted her gaze to the center of the terrace, observing the small, stone fountain with appreciative eyes. Its water, clear and fresh, was covered in green leaves and dainty flowers, which emanated a sweet, soothing fragrance and packed the air with a floral essence.

Suddenly hearing a satisfied mutter, Ran curiously turned around to look at her boyfriend; her eyes quickly widening in mild surprise at the unexpected sight. Shinichi was a couple of meters away from the patio, lying comfortably on a hammock which hung from two thick strings, safely tied to the trunks of two palm trees. His hands were behind his head as he swung from left to right in a slow rhythm, one of his legs hanging in the air as he brushed his toes against the cool sand. Looking up at her as a grin formed on his lips, he raised one of his arms and stretched it towards her direction; causing for a tender smile to appear on Ran's lips as she happily strode to his arms.

Lying down next to Shinichi, he quickly wrapped a protective (and somewhat possessive) arm around her waist as she rested her head on his bare shoulder; her lips purposefully brushing against his chest while her fingertips felt the muscles underneath his skin. It suddenly wasn't as cool anymore; the wind was not so strong now, and they were finally able to feel the mild warmth of the night. Taking a deep breath as he buried his nose in her hair, Shinichi's eyes fluttered in pleasure as Ran's intoxicating scent filled his senses; a sudden warm ball of feelings quickly forming in his stomach, and his lips pressing themselves against her forehead, as the strong love and devotion that he held for her developed even further. Ran blushed and smiled shyly at the soft feeling of his kiss, yet still intensified her hold on his chest as she shut her eyes in delight. They may had been together for a little over a month already, still, she found herself completely incapable of becoming used to his sweet touches. They were different every time, yet always filled with care and tenderness. A simply addicting combination...

Raising her head to look at the detective, she comfortably rested her chin and cheek on his chest as her heart suddenly increased in speed; the current view in front of her, causing for a dark blush to appear on her cheeks. Shinichi's full, crimson lips were grinning down at her, their typical trademark grin though with a hint of romanticism, as his azure eyes penetrated into hers with a loving glimmer. His dark, coffee-colored hair had a brilliant shine tonight, and his bangs moved delicately from time to time from the occasional summer breeze; brushing his face playfully as they contrasted with the attractive, rosy shade of his sun-tanned cheeks. Suspiring unconsciously at the heart-warming sight, her cheeks heated a little more as she parted her lips almost needily; approaching the man's face while cupping his cheeks, as the two of them slowly closed their eyes. For the first few seconds, the touch proved to be extremely tender, careful, even somewhat reserved... their lips just massaging each other at a slow speed, while Shinichi ran his hands over Ran's warm back and felt her hips and feminine curves with curious fingers. Whether he'd touched a sensitive area or maybe kissed her a little more intimately though, Shinichi was not sure... But Ran's skin had quickly become stimulated with tiny, delicate goosebumps as a soft, moan-like sound escaped her lips and resounded right in his mouth; making his cheeks flush a fiery red as his heart raced agitatedly. Pulling the girl on top of him deeper into the embrace, the kiss soon increased its passion as they lay on that slightly swinging hammock, underneath the pale moonlight...

::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::

"It's too hot in here.." Suddenly whined Ran, after about 25 minutes of what older adults would most likely refer to as "necking," with her most beloved detective. She lay in his protective embrace and had her arms wrapped around him as well, though a familiar and not very likable humidity was beginning to form on her skin. "Aren't you hot?" She asked with a suffering look in her eyes, as she looked up at the man next to her.

"Of course I am.. just ask my fan clubs, they'll tell you all about it..." Said Shinichi with a playful look as his lips curved into a teasing smile. Ran rolled her eyes with a knowing grin on her face, taking a few moments to mutter something about extremely cocky detectives and good looks, as she rose from the hammock. "Wait, Ran! I'm sorry, you know I was just kidding..!" Insisted Shinichi while trying to muffle his laughing, raising his hands to hold her hips as he tried to prevent her from leaving.

"You're a hopeless case, Shinichi.." muttered Ran with a small smile, slowly moving her head transversely to emphasize her words. "I know I know.." murmured back Shinichi in a low voice as he grinned at her, kissing her neck affectionately as an apology.

Ran smiled contently as she stood up, looking back at the detective as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Are you coming along, Shinichi?"

"Where..?"

"To jump in the water.. I'm sweating in here like crazy, I need to get in... now." Said Ran with mild urgency as Shinichi gazed at her with an air of amusement, and though he _was_ feeling little drops of sweat on his back as well, he slightly shook his head to decline the offer. "It's way too hot, Ran... I don't think I can even walk over there."

"It's not too far way though.." Replied the girl with raised eyebrows. "Are you sure..?"

"Yeah, the heat managed to evaporate my last bits of energy.. I'll just wait for you here... Besides, you'll be soaking wet anyway, so that'll cool me off." Said Shinichi with a suggestive smile, making blood rush to the girl's cheeks with incredible speed as she directed her gaze to the sand, and then somehow managed to walk towards the sea; not before tripping over her own feet, to later quickly erect her back in embarrassment, as she headed to the water with an awestruck expression. All the while observing her with an adoring glimmer in his eyes, Shinichi smiled subconsciously as she carefully dipped her foot in the water, probably to check its temperature, and moments later dived right into the sea of black with ease. Her head was once again visible after a few seconds as she took the moment to breathe and quickly fix her wet hair; later sinking her head back into the water, as her arms rose and sunk from the ocean and her feet slightly pushed the water behind, propelling her body in a determined and energetic pace.

As fast as she had gotten into the water though, she had suddenly left.

Raising his eyebrows as a small drop of sweat went down his temple, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Ran suddenly jump from the water with a panicky expression and make a desperate dash out of the water, her legs moving at a speed that even soccer players would have admired as a girly scream of discomfort loudly escaped her lips. Reaching Shinichi in record-breaking time, she tightly hugged his arm as she pressed her cool forehead against his shoulder; her body managing to relax a little as the boy wrapped a protective arm around her.

"What happened??" Quickly asked Shinichi as he diverted his gaze from her, to the sea, and back to her again. "Did you find something there? A dead body..?"

"Noo!" Exclaimed Ran with shut eyes and a small sweat drop. "There are round, s-slimy things in the water..!! I was swimming in there, and they were touching me all over! I think they were fish, but Shinichiii... it was so gross!" Whined the girl with huge, watery eyes, shivering from time to time as she remembered the slimy feeling against her skin.

"Round and slimy..?" Wondered Shinichi aloud with a quirked eyebrow. "Jellyfish..?" The boy looked back at Ran, whom had quickly sat on the hammock with her arms tightly wrapped around herself as she stared into space; her lower lip quivering from time to time, though if it was from the cooler breeze or the strange, oceanic turn of events, Shinichi was not exactly sure. He approached her, nonetheless, and bent down in front of her as his hands caressed her bare legs. "You didn't get stung anywhere, right..?" Asked Shinichi while he observed her from head to toe; the girl merely responding with a negative movement of her head as her cheeks flushed a nice shade of pink. "I guess they didn't have any tentacles then.. that's good." Mumbled Shinichi thoughtfully.

Grinning in amusement as the initial worry began to wear off though, Shinichi quickly went from concerned-boyfriend to childhood-friend-mode. "You really _did_ run like a maniac back there-" "Oh noo.. there we go again!" Complained the girl with a resigned expression as she lay back down on the hammock, Shinichi's hearty laugh worsening the intensity of color in her cheeks. "I can't believe you! You are the most insensitive, heartless..! Hmph, do you know how many of those things were in the water Shinichi??" Shinichi's chuckle wouldn't cease though, and he made attempts to speak as he dried off his tears. "N-no.. I don't know.. how many were there Ran?" He asked as calmly as he could, though his amusement was so intense, his voice had come out quite off-tone. With a huge smile on his lips, he unfortunately couldn't help but to laugh once again at the moment he saw her red cheeks and half-moon eyes.

"I really can't believe you..! You are so _utterly _unsympathetic Shinichi..!" Whined Ran in feigned irritation as the boy, between laughs, climbed on the hammock as well and lay on top of her; his arms and legs slightly supporting his body so as not to crush her. "But how can you not find this amusing?" Questioned Shinichi with a wide and teasing smile, a small sweatdrop going down his forehead as he caught the dangerous look she gave him. "N-nevermind..." He nevertheless puckered his lips and planted a loving and noisy kiss on her cheek, noting with pride the sudden flush of pleasure that had appeared on her once pale skin.

The apology had worked wonderfully.

With a smile of pure contentment, Shinichi lowered his head as he comfortably rested his cheek on her cooled bosom. Her body was still fresh from the sea's cold waters and logically, managed to do its wonders in lowering his own body temperature. Listening to the somewhat accelerated yet soothing rhythm of her heart, his eyes were shut momentarily as his entire body lost every bit of hyperactivity, and quickly relaxed against the feminine curves of his girlfriend. He reopened his eyes after a small yet lovely eternity. With parted lips and a mildly somnolent gaze, he watched the small crystal droplets that trickled playfully down the girl's skin; caressing areas where no man but himself had ever experienced the pleasure of touching. Furrowing his brow and protruding his lips in childish jealousy, he rose his hand and swiftly brushed away the perverted little spheres of liquid with hot fingers; oblivious to the large amounts of blood that had quickly traveled to Ran's face as he'd apparently caressed the inner area of her breast. He made no sign of awareness though, and closed his eyes in satisfaction as he resumed his peaceful listening of his sweet angel's beating heart; while the carrier of such organ--after realizing he'd only touched her with innocent motive-- bit her lips with slight embarrassment as a shy, yet delighted blush remained on her soft porcelain cheeks. If any other person would have committed such act upon her, there wouldn't have been a shadow of doubt that her admirable karate skills would have been unleashed upon that sucker. But the man before her... Ever since that faithful day in New York, he had become so much more than a mere good friend, or even the best of them all. The sweet words that had escaped his lips with such powerful emotion, had left her breathless and light-headed under the pouring rain. His eyes were sad, yet filled with amiability and long years' worth of wisdom, and the heart-throbbing glimmer that his azure orbs produced, ever since that _faithful day_, has been noted and revered with a religious love on a daily basis.

Really, love could bloom in a person's heart at the most unexpected times...

Smiling tenderly at the young man resting on her chest, Ran's tired blue eyes shone with the deepest affection as she carefully ran her hands through his hair; brushing the dark brown strands in all directions with soothing movements, and in the meantime, stealing a groan or two of pure satisfaction from Shinichi's lips. Ran smiled even more. This beautiful ritual would soon become a daily routine for the two of them. School days were approaching their closure, and once they would graduate, a new chapter in their lives would commence. Marriage and its sweet, devoted love would initiate in their lives almost immediately, and as to be expected, affirm their classmates unwavering suspicions of their relationship in the most -painfully- efficient way. Ran's brow became delicately furrowed. She wasn't sure how much longer Shinichi and her would be capable of hiding their current "friendship" from their ever-intruding schoolmates. The fact that Shinichi had so many admiring and obsessively-infatuated girls of all possible ages after him, unfortunately didn't manage to ease matters either. It really was only a matter of time before people would find out. If not now, then in a couple of months, once Shinichi and her would make the lifelong vow to stay together.

Ran's cheeks became highly rosy and a blissful smile spread on her petaled lips. _A life with Shinichi... _The mere thought was enough to make her heart throb in excitement and flutter in the purest, most delightful pleasure. He could probably feel at this very moment, her pounding heart under his temple and cheek.

How curious though, that his sudden words seemed to suggest he'd been pondering over marriage as well.

"Ran..." Muttered Shinichi in a drowsy yet thoughtful voice.

"Hm?"

"Did you tell your parents yet..? About us?" He questioned with an intrigued expression, slightly raising his head to look at her. Ran's eyebrows suddenly curved upwards in surprise, though a slightly embarrassed smile quickly replaced that emotion. "Oh, yeah I did! A couple of days ago, actually. I guess that with the trip and busy karate schedule, I forgot all about it though..." Confessed the girl with flushed cheeks as Shinichi observed her with a knowing smile and half-moon eyes.

"I didn't expect such reactions though... Well, from dad, yes. He's never really liked you Shinichi.." told the girl with a dissatisfied pout as Shinichi grinned even _more_ knowingly. "Now mom... her reaction was reasonable, considering the circumstances.. but I probably should have waited until dinner was finished..."

_:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:_

_"Where are you going all dressed up for, Ran?" Questioned a light-brown-haired woman as she gazed at her daughter, a disapproving look appearing on her face as she observed the minor's choice of clothing. "And that skirt is too short."_

_"Mom! I'm seventeen already, I do have the right to wear mini-skirts..." Laughed the girl as she knelt down to open a short cabinet's doors, taking out her favorite sandals and placing them on the floor. "I'm going out with Shinichi this afternoon. We're going to watch a new movie that just came out! ' A Summer's Memento'? Have you heard of it 'kaasan?" _

_"Oh, I think so... My secretary actually went to see it last weekend, now that I think of it... But anyhow, what's up between you two? You've been getting together an awful lot... Of course, I assume you worked out that whole 'Conan ordeal'?" Inquired the woman with an observing gaze._

_Ran gave her an enthusiastic nod. "Don't worry, we did. Things are really looking good now..." _

_"Good." Was her simple, yet candid response as she returned her full concentration to open the paper bag containing their dinner's sourdough bread._

_"'kaasan.. I-uh. Actually wanted to talk to you about something.." she began carefully. "What could that be?" Responded the woman with a motherly smile._

_"It's about... Shinichi and I.. well, you know how we resolved that whole dispute between us... We-uh. Well, once we made up, we..." Her gaze fell on the ground and turned left and right repeatedly, as if searching for some kind of aid, while Eri's eyes turned to her daughter's jumpy and embarrassed figure. _

_"You what?" She asked with an uneasy expression._

_"We..." Ran's blush suddenly became quite noticeable._

_"You _what_, Ran?" Asked Eri once again as calmly as she could, though there was a strong hint of concern and worry in her voice. _

_"We... kissed." She finished with highly glowing cheeks as Eri brought a hand up to her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh so you kissed, thank goodness." _

_"Huh..?" Ran's eyebrows rose in confusion._

_"WHAT?!!! That BOY kissed YOU, my daughter?! How?! HOW __dare__ he?!! Oh NO!!! When I get my hands on that little twirp!! Not only does he stay in my house for months and steal my cases, he now just __has__ to take my daugh..!" And his tirade when on and on as he stormed out of the kitchen; the two women looking after his mad, disappearing figure with huge eyes._

_"You don't think he'll do anything to Shinichi, right mom?" Questioned Ran with a somewhat worried expression as she kept her gaze on the swinging door; her father's muffled complaints still more or less graspable to their ears._

_"Nah..his screams are always a much ado about nothing..." Responded Eri almost automatically; her long, index finger rising in the air to scratch her cheek though, after a few moments of consideration. "Actually, on second thought, maybe it would be good if you stay close to Shinichi-kun, Ran. Just.. in case." Recommended the woman a bit nervously as a small drop of sweat ran down her cheek, her hands soon finding a long and dull knife, and taking a short while to cut the sponge-like yet crusty French bread in equal portions. _

_Trying to brush off the image of her father attempting to fulfill his murderous dream -not before shivering madly at the thought's mere, horrible nature- Ran delicately coughed the small knot in her throat as she readied herself to continue. "I hope you're not upset that I didn't tell you earlier, mom..."_

_"Oh.. that's quite alright, Ran. I'm sure you needed your own time to tell me. That's okay.." said the woman with a smile and much more at ease, as her hands rummaged in the kitchen cabinets for some kind of container._

_"Well, uhm.. that's not quite the end of.. the whole story though." Continued the girl, taking the powdered garlic that was on the counter and giving it to her searching mother._

_"Oh thank you, I was looking for that. So, you said something else happened?" She asked while looking at her daughter, making Ran's eyes widen a bit at the excessive amounts of herbs she was obliviously spraying on the once-delicate-tasting food. "Uh.. y-yeah, well.. he invited me for dinner." Stammered the girl absent-mindedly, sneezing suddenly at the strong, pungent odor that was left hanging in the air._

_"Bless you. So where did you two go?" Inquired the woman curiously as she placed some bread in a small, black electric-oven, set the temperature and turned the timer._

_"To a very nice restaurant. The same one that I told you about, during the last time Shinichi was around and we'd gone out for dinner. Beika Center Building's Rooftop Restaurant; do you remember 'kaasan?" Eri's hand shot back from the knob responsible for the temperature of the sauce, and turned on her heels to look at her daughter; her eyes wide with surprise. "Beika's.. rooftop restaurant?" _

_"Yes... why, is something wrong?"_

_"That's where.. Yukiko and Yusaku-kun.." she murmured to herself thoughtfully, raising her determined gaze to look at her daughter after a few moments. "N-nevermind Ran. I just.. had a flashback" she excused with a small smile. "So you two had a nice dinner?" Asked the woman cheerfully as she casually stirred some spaghetti with a long, wooden spoon, and later set the utensil on the counter as she took a few moments to turn a small knob, slightly increasing the temperature of the stove._

_"Yes, we did." Ran responded happily, her cheeks flushing infatuatedly as the detective's calm and attractive face suddenly appeared in her thoughts. He was smiling... that same smile he had dedicated her as he spoke his heart out, and confessed his feelings with such passion during that memorable dinner. Ran's heart began to flutter with ecstasy and a joyous, mile-wide smile spread on her rosy lips. She couldn't wait anymore. "Oh mom, how I'm crazy about him! And he just __had__ to propose to me! What is he trying to do? Drown me and consume me with love?" She exclaimed passionately and more to herself than her mother, an expression filled with profound blissfulness quickly appearing on her lovely features as she slowly slid to the ground, her blue-violet eyes glossy with dreamy emotion. _

_"Wait, he did what?" Questioned Eri with a quirked eyebrow as she still tried to get the fire going, meanwhile wondering if her daughter had just said something wrong._

_Ran looked back at her mother, her wide and euphoric smile baring her flawless white teeth. "He asked me to marry him!!!" _

_Eri's eyes widened considerably as the unexpected news entered her ears; her hands suddenly filled with so much energy and shock that they trembled with force in a mere nanosecond and accidentally turned the stove's temperature to its full capacity. Curiously enough though, the woman had been so absorbed in her sudden outburst of happiness for her daughter, that she hadn't noticed the great rise in temperature that she had caused on the stove; its corresponding pan quickly boiling with hot water, and its many bubbles rising playfully to escape from their metal prison. All of this while the pretty "cook" in oblivious happiness hugged her young daughter and exclaimed with merry enthusiasm (most likely due to hear recent, spousal reconciliation) about the incomparable beauty of marriage. _

_"Marriage??!" Suddenly exclaimed Kogoro as he'd apparently returned to the kitchen, while Eri suddenly appeared to notice with wide and shocked eyes the dangerous boiling vapor that was filling the kitchen with humidity, and the hot bubbles along with water that were overflowing and ruining the entire stove. "Ohh nooooo, Ran, don't tell me that boy-" She nodded with a joyful smile. "HO!!!!!!!! I will KILL him now! He's a dead man!!!! How can he take my beautiful daughter away?!?!! I will not allow that undesirable, little-" _

_"DAD! Stop it right now!!" She responded angrily as she placed her hands on her hips._

_"But you're my daughter!! Oh NO, I will _not _allow this! How __dare__ he?!" Exclaimed the man absolutely infuriated as he stormed out of the room with tight fists for the second time that evening._

_"Oh he dares! He very much dares, dad!! And don't __you__ dare say anything to him!!" Retorted the girl as she pointed her index finger threateningly at him, unfortunately not managing to conclude the argument as her father's anger proved to temporarily blind him from even Ran's nearly equal discontentment. The two continued to scream in anger, while Eri found herself far too occupied to resolve the dispute as she tried to clean up the stove from all of the boiling water; meanwhile observing the Italian sauce overflow from its large pan due to the continuous reception of heat, and to top the picturesque scene, having to miraculously become some type of McGuyver and extinguish the meter-high blueish flame which rose from the electric oven, which needless to say, had by this time successfully transformed the once good-tasting garlic bread into a severely-carbonized sole. _

_:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:_

"Well, you three must have looked like a dysfunctional family alright.." chuckled Shinichi as his cheek remained on the girl's chest tiredly, his eyes nevertheless radiating with an amused glimmer.

"Oh Shinichi, it was dreadful..!" Groaned the girl as she stretched her limbs underneath him. "Dad just had to throw off a temper tantrum.. I've no idea how I calmed him down, but somehow it was done... and that fire almost burned our ceiling..! Thankfully mom turned it out with a towel in time..." She muttered with a hopeless look, her lips curving into a small grin as she felt Shinichi's chuckles on top of her. "Hey, don't laugh! It's not funny, you know.."

"Ahh, sorry sorry.." responded the man with a wide smile. "But what were you doing anyway, talking to her while she was cooking? You know she's terrible at it, even _without_ distractions.. of course the house is gonna burn down if you tell her we're getting married!"

"I know, but I couldn't help it! I was too excited..." pouted Ran as a rosy flush of shyness ran to her cheeks. "I'm sure you would have done the same, Shinichi..." she murmured defensively while Shinichi's face became quite florid, the honey-sweet tone of voice in which she'd slowly pronounced his name making blood rush to his face with efficiency. He lowered his head and comfortably rested his blushing cheeks on her chest, silently thanking the coolness of the girl's skin for lowering the temperature of his own burning one, as he gazed at the dark, desolated beach with dozing eyes. Cool, small fingers instantly returned to caress his nape and brown hair in slow motions, while the summer breeze slightly increased its speed and made the palm trees' leaves chime with a soothing, rustling sound. The moon's bright beams of light bathed the shore in ivory, and a few of those rays touched the two teenagers' lightly tanned bodies with delicacy. Shinichi's eyes slowly reopened at that instant; Ran's tired, yet melodic voice bringing him back to consciousness.

"I don't think we'll be able to keep this up much longer.." She whispered drowsily, her orbs shining with the moon's pale glow as she looked deeply into Shinichi's eyes. Ran continued when she detected the boy's questioning and somewhat confused gaze. "Keep our relationship in secret.. from our classmates, from everyone... I think they're already suspecting us, Shinichi."

"That was bound to happen." He muttered with a thoughtful expression, brushing his thumb against her arm in a subconscious manner with long, affectionate strokes. "But we shouldn't worry. They assume that there's something going on between us, but they don't have the slightest idea, or even the mild consideration of thinking that we are involved in the relationship we are very much currently in... It's far too much for the poor kids." He snickered lightly, making Ran gaze at him with knowing half-moon eyes and lightly blushing cheeks. "But isn't it enough, if they already suspect we're together?"

"No evidence, my dear! There's absolutely no proof to support their theories, therefore, they have _nil_. And if they can't prove our relationship, how will they discover our engagement?" Finished Shinichi with a victorious grin. "When we actually get married, maybe?" Muttered Ran with a large drop of sweat, as Shinichi's eyes turned into small dots.

"Ah! Who cares, that's not for another couple of months.. I shall enjoy a life free of teases until those crazy people find out." He declared stubbornly, his words and expression resembling the charisma of some crazy emperor, as Ran noted with a light giggle. The detective slightly lifted his body from Ran's very comfortable torso nonetheless, and chose to lie down beside her; a strong arm instinctively wrapping itself around her waist and his lips brushing against her forehead in a highly protective manner. Neither of the two spoke for some time. They remained on the hammock, with their arms surrounding each other's bodies, as they kept their unfocused gazes forward; their consciousness slowly deteriorating with every passing second.

Shinichi closed his eyes completely and nuzzled Ran's neck with content, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he tightened his hold on the small, feminine body. He was too comfortable... _far_ too comfortable. Ran's delicate scent was proving to be extremely soporiferous as well, and his muscles were weakening from the soothing, relaxing warmth that emanated from her skin. His eyes were no longer able to open and tiredness could barely allow him to think.. nothing good could come out of that.

"Ran... we can't fall asleep out here..." Murmured Shinichi into her neck, his voice so low and weak from sleep that it was practically indistinct. A soft, subconscious hum was Ran's mere response as she herself kept her tired eyes closed; her fingers decelerating their caresses, and finally concluding their movements a few seconds later, once the girl's mind had finally wandered off to dreamland.

How unfortunate though, that their only hope to leave those white shores before dawn would proudly display itself on the currently-black sky, had been Shinichi's consciousness, which by this time, had indeed managed to escape his mind, along with the passing serenity of the summer wind...

::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::

It was warm. Very warm. He was pressed against something soft, and comfortable, and fragrant...

_'Ran...'_

Yes, they both had met that evening. They had lain down on that hammock, and... wait; had he fallen asleep there? Now that he thought about it, everything was of a reddish tone, and no longer black. Was it daylight? Sounds... his ears were beginning to function. Waves could be heard now, calm and soothing as usual, with their monotonous and uniquely pleasant song. Children's laughter now as well...

Oh man, it was starting to get hot! Small droplets of sweat were forming on his forehead, probably since he was still resting it on Ran's warm body. His arm as well, it remained wrapped around her waist. She probably was as hot and sweaty as he now.. maybe he should take his arm off..?

... Nah. It was too hot to even _move_.

And as if the sun were capable of hearing his complaints, it suddenly became darker! The color inside his eyelids wasn't as reddish anymore, but a dark brown. Probably a cloud was temporarily covering the sun, how convenient..! The breeze was even cooler now... all thanks to the shade...

But wait... wasn't it a bit too dark for merely some cloudy skies? And there wasn't any variation in the shade, like there should be if clouds kept traveling before the sun, one after another. Maybe clouds weren't the ones responsible for covering the light...

Muffled voices. Whispers. Giggles. What was all this?!

And again, as if some almighty force had heard his silent question.. "C'mon love birds, the sun is shining, the water is warm, and it's only 11 in the _morning so I think __**it's time to Rise and SHINE PEOPLE!!!!**__**"**_ Yelled a young man right into Shinichi's ear, making him instantly rise from the hammock and widely open his eyes, just as if a thunderbolt had suddenly struck his back with brute force. "W-what??" He mumbled as his fingers pressed themselves against his eyes, an attempt to vanish the lethargy behind them.

"Beautiful to see you awake, my friend!" Exclaimed the same boy, respectively known by the name of Hideo, as he slapped the detective's back playfully. "And it looks to me, you weren't very willing to wake up, eh!" He said lowly to Shinichi, though still loud enough for the rest of his classmates to hear, as his eyebrows and lips curved suggestively. "Hey, hold it-" "Ah ah ah ah! Nonono, I'll have none of that today, no sir." Hideo interrupted once again, making the group of girls behind them, giggle at the scene with a faint flush coloring their cheeks. Shinichi crossed his arms expectantly while a dark shade of pink spread to his own face; nothing good was to come from a group of students who had, just momentarily, witnessed Ran and himself sleeping together in a small hammock.

"Well, Kudou-san, have you anything to say on your defense?" Grinned another with, he himself, a light blush.

"Where am I? At a trial?" Complained Shinichi with half-moon eyes.

"Accept it, Kudou!! We've caught you red-handed! _In fraganti_, right at the scene of the crime, in the act, in-" "Okay Myoga, shut up." Interrupted Hideo with a small drop of sweat as one of the girls covered the talkative man's mouth. "Ah.. peace, thank you. Well anyhow! Where were we?" He exclaimed with a wide smile, his trademark cheerfulness once again palpable. "Kudou.. this is your time to come clean-"

"But I haven't done anything!"

"Oh Kudou... the road to denial is a _long _and _painful_ one." Expressed the young man dramatically, making Shinichi grunt in desperation as he rubbed his forehead a little harshly. "But if you confess to us, and publicly admit your feelings and very evident undying love for Mouri-san.. then maybe we'll let you go."

"_Maybe_?" Repeated the man incredulously while Hideo feigned momentary deafness. "And hasn't an important man once said: 'There is only one truth'?" He questioned rhetorically as his fingers rose in the air, his eyes looking up at the sky dreamily as if in some sort of "illumination." Something to which Shinichi could just stare at with half-moon eyes and utter resignation. A sigh escaped his lips. "Alright already, get to the point."

"Tell us the truth about your relationship with Mouri-san, or we'll spread around the school the picture Watanabe took on his cell." Said another boy, shoving Watanabe's cell phone on Shinichi's face. A cell phone which clearly showed a very suggestive, very embarrassing, very much liked-to-be-kept-private picture of the couple in a certainly compromising position, on a fairly small hammock, with their lips almost touching.

Not a very nice photograph to post around a high school...

"Hey give me that!!!" Exclaimed Shinichi with a red face as his hand came up to snatch the small object away, the other young man taking it away just in time. "Confess Kudou!!"

"No!!"

"C'mon, we have the picture already, now just say it!" Insisted another student with his hands on his sides.

"No way! I absolutely refuse!"

"Confess" muttered Hideo with an extremely ill look on his face, Shinichi merely shaking his head in negative response. "Now." More negative shakes. "Don't make me hurt you, Kudou."

"Forget it! There's nothing to confess!!" Retorted Shinichi with an imperative tone.

"Okay buddy, you asked for it! If you don't say anything within the next 10 seconds, the picture is going public." Said Hideo with a mad-man's look on his face, the other students slowly backing away with a couple "this is gonna get ugly" remarks in the process. Shinichi's brow furrowed automatically at the reappearing sight of the picture, a small drop of sweat caressing his temple with nervousness as his cheeks remained rosy. "So?" He asked with feigned nonchalance.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Said the young man with a malicious grin, raising the phone on his hand with the small picture on its screen, as an evil glimmer played on his brown eyes. "If I print copies of this picture and post them all around the school..? The students see them... teachers see them... school visitors and general administration..." Shinichi swallowed roughly as even more sweat formed on his back, his eyes moving rapidly from left to right in rising desperation. Hideo grinned even more. "_Fan girls_ see them.."

"Alright! Fine, dammit!!" Shinichi interrupted with a _highly_ annoyed look, not able to control the tight anger in his chest. "I admit it! Ran and I are going out, okay?! Happy? Yes?!" He screamed hotly as blood rose in dangerous amounts to his face; his strong and firm voice (unfortunately for him) echoing with impeccable clarity through the entire beach, causing for several intrigued glances of passersby to instantly direct towards the detective, and naturally, furthering the already-existent crimson color in his cheeks, to an even darker shade. Many girls at that moment started to chat even more excitedly, their high-pitched and emotional voices breaking out into giddy laughter every few seconds, while the men cheered loudly and slapped hands with victorious smiles. Shinichi sat back on the hammock, a palpable hint of embarrassment and discontent on his facial expression as he looked away from his teasing friends and the nosy townspeople who approached them curiously, obviously attracted by the sudden commotion. This was terrible... This was absolutely dreadful. They had found out their secret. Probably because they'd woken up and hadn't found neither himself nor Ran in the hotel rooms. They looked for them on the beach (after all, they purposely hadn't walked very far), and once found, they obviously discovered them sleeping, closely together. All it took was a tiny picture as evidence of the occurrence, and tah-dah..! The cat is right out of the bag! Shinichi is screwed for life! No rest for him, nono, he'd never get the months of freedom from the teases. Nope. Absolutely not. Shinichi could never be left in peace, with the tranquil and comforting company of his girlfriend. Without any stinkin' yells from school mates, who just _have_ to comment on the relationship. Oh man, he sure was to go mad! How was he to survive high school under such conditions?

_'Hah.. well, at least they didn't ask if our relationship was heavier than merely dating. Now _that_ would have been ugly to answer... Ah! but no, Kudou! Shut up, or you'll probably jinx it!'_ He scorned himself mentally as he shut his eyes, later directing his gaze towards Ran's figure, and his eyes quickly filling with child-like wonder.

_'She's still sleeping..' _thought Shinichi with amazement as he observed the young woman's gently-moving, yet closed eyelids, her slightly parted lips, the strands of soft hair caressing her face, and her child-like curled up figure. She hadn't a clue on what occurred in the real world, but remained in the innocence and beauty of her dreams, probably for a while longer. Shinichi's eyes softened considerably, and he slowly inclined his head to watch her sleeping face a little closer, his lips curving into a tender smile as her warm breath delicately moved some of the bangs on his face. His eyes shot a glance at his talkative classmates for a second, noticing with relief that they were negligent of his proximity with Ran, and soon turning his gaze back to the sleeping girl's placid expression. Shinichi's eyes closed instinctively as he devotionally fondled her lips with his, his cheeks reddening the slightest bit from the awareness of the very public location they both were currently in. But in reality, if his friends were to turn now and see, such factor wouldn't actually be a worry. They now knew.. and there weren't any actions to hide from them any longer.

Maybe having people discover their secret, wasn't such a bad thing after all...

* * *

_And probably the fluffiest chapter yet is completed..! xDD Geez, was it hard to write so much kissing!! I really think I've learned my lesson with fluff for now.. xDD _

_Anyhow, I'd like to take this second to say, Please! Please don't kill me for not updating sooner!!! ó.oUU The wait was incredibly extensive.. I know... I really am ashamed! Go ahead, bombard me with curses (though try to refrain from writing them on a review, pretty please.. xDDDD)_

_Other than that, no further comments to mention except a Colossal "Thank you!" to my dear readers for taking your time in reading these fics!!! It really does mean a lot to Rani-chan! n-n_

_Ja ne everybody!! _


	7. Fantasia

_Well, the last story was far too fluffy, so actually.. this was just bound to happen. n.nUU A considerably much gloomier chapter (ahem, don't know why I say more gloomy if there hasn't been a drop of sadness in my fics.. but ah, who cares. xD), so anyhow, I've warned you and be prepared! ;)  
__I'd like to take the moment to give a Big, gigantic, colossal, enormous "Zhank Yoo!" to all of my readers, all of the wonderful people who follow and enjoy and squirm in their seats because of my stories! n-n Your enjoyment is my biggest reward as a fanfiction writer!!! Really! I thank you so much!!!! n-n  
__Though, I _will _ask for a pound of flesh from you in return. No more, no less... sounds like a good deal, ne? n.n  
__O.oU  
__Gotta stop reading Merchant of Venice... n.nUUU  
As always.. enjoy loves!! ;D  
_

_**Disclaimer:**__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** Fantasia 

**Summary:**_ The dreaded incubus—the product of pure fear—devilishly ripped his heart during the nights. Would there ever be an end?_

* * *

The stone floor was so cold. His forehead burned feverishly as the icy sensation of the ground penetrated through his pale skin, and stabbed his head with freezing knives. He had his naked chest tightly pressed against the ground, tiny drops of warm sweat slowly forming on his back from the pitiful state of health he was in. He attempted for a moment to rise from that bone-chilling floor, but all he managed was a small groan of pain from his sore muscles. It was a strange sensation, like tons of dull, heavy sand had been stuffed inside his limbs. Like he had run for days on a non-stop marathon and just recently collapsed from exhaustion, hitting the floor like an overused wet rag. Currently, his body's weight was proving to be very difficult to sustain... 

Suddenly, the male and distant echo of a furious yell was faintly heard, making Shinichi's eyes flutter open instantaneously. His heart instinctively raced the slightest bit, and he remained on the cold ground as, with an alert look on his face, he barely breathed some oxygen in order to hear the mad scream once again. His left eye began to burn, incentivizing him to forcefully raise his upper body and support it on his elbow as a pale hand rose to press the wound. A hot and mushy substance poured from his eyebrow freely, drowning a small portion of the stone floor and his once-creamy-colored palm in dark, metallic onyx. Its boiling-hot consistency impregnated his skin with a humid and overpowering odor, even nauseating to some point, as he slowly moved his wet hand for a closer inspection underneath the moonlight. The black onyx had quickly transformed into a velvet of deep scarlet, the hot drops of goo continuing their slow-motioned rainfall from his inert hand as his dark blue eyes gazed into the small pool of crimson in awe. The sudden, maniacal laugh and somewhat louder screams of two men interrupted his short reverie though, and Shinichi's hand slightly twitched as he stared into the dark hallway with uncertainty. A dark fog hung from the direction of the noises, dense and thick with dirt and humidity, overflowing with dread and murder. The echoes of their frightful yells still resounded in his ears, and though, as icy cold as they might be, still curiously held an intriguing tone in them.

He wasn't a detective for nothing.

Gritting his teeth in pain as he slowly rose from the ground, he lay against the equally freezing wall as ragged breaths escaped his lips. The smell of mud, and sweat, and blood, hung dimly in the air as a brown, foggy cloud. The putrid scent entered his lungs sickly, ans was so utterly penetrating, it quickly forced his eyes into tears, and his nose to burn intolerably. He had to continue though. Those men could be dangerous; he'd never allow them escape.

He took a few heavy steps towards the worn-out door, the forceful and sudden movement causing for an intolerable vibration to buzz and rattle through his brain, though the boy didn't allow the distressing feeling to detain him. Dragging his feet through the exit, he rose his right arm and touched the dewy stone walls of the dark corridor for support, gulping down the strange feeling that was developing in his warm throat as he languidly made his way through the shadows. The harsh voices of men were now muffled by the sound of raging music, the demoniacal beat and lyrics becoming louder and louder with every weary step. The ground quivered rhythmically as specks of dirt jumped from the ground with steady, energetic enthusiasm; a quality which Shinichi currently lacked as he squinted his way through the murky passageway, inhaling and exhaling with monotone harshness as he painted a dotted trail of blood behind his muddy-traced steps. He looked at the ground behind him. There was something extremely chilling about those drops of warm liquid, decorating the lifeless pit that these people had as torture rooms, and gleaming with the arrogant glare of rubies underneath the paleness of a weak moonbeam. In some sick manner, the lonely drops of blood reminded him of Hansel and Gretel's silly breadcrumbs... innocently showing the way to a tragic finale.

Turning his head forward once again, he continued to advance towards the room purveyor of the laughs and hellish sounds, though suddenly wincing as one of the stone wall's ragged edges scratched his burning back. The skin was still sensitive, had been for several hours, and would probably remain in that state for many days. He'd received an insufferable beating; consisting of flaming hot towels drenched in boiling water, which had later been used to lash his exposed back with unwavering brutality. Shinichi knew this was a useful method of torture. He had read about it sometime when he was younger, in one of the many case files. The torturer hits the victim repeatedly, as strongly and as many times as he pleases, without leaving the slightest mark behind other than a temporary redness on the swollen skin. This is due to the fact that the water cooperates with the cloth, altering the object's consistency, and consequently reducing a direct impact on the skin. It's a perfect technique. No evidence is ever left of the crime committed.

His eyes drooped tiredly at the memory, an expression of pure melancholy on his facial features, as he grasped the stones and continued to drag his way to the noise. His back still felt as if under flames; his eye was still prickling with blood. His whole body was exhausted, and yet _why_ was he walking towards the pain? This was his chance to run away, leave behind the torturers and their darned maniacal laughter. This "abandoned" building and its infamous syndicate. There wasn't a reason to stay any longer—he wasn't even accompanied by anyone in the building and didn't have to rescue any other than himself. He knew Haibara was safe at the professor's. Escaping and informing the police of the building's location was to be the logical plan...

No.

He couldn't do that.

Something was happening behind that door. A forgotten feeling, currently on the back of his mind, urged him to continue, told him not to stop. The tiny ray of light that escaped from the thin opening of the door, insisted that he step closer to the hidden room and its dear secret. The music blasted through that door, the walls and even his own heart vibrating painfully. Sweat formed on his back and palms, his vision quickly became fuzzy, and as a strange feeling of dread formed in his chest from a forgotten fear, he rose his arm and slightly pushed the door open, revealing its contents to the dark corridor and himself. His heart literally stopped.

Frozen upon the walkway as his eyes grew wide and lips quivered in horror, he witnessed the monstrous scene of five men... Five _naked_ men, whom only four faced him with predatory grins; their bodies slowly maturing with old age and sin as they watched him carefully, almost knowingly. Some had glass bottles in their hands, others weird instruments of metal and plastic; all snickered silently as Shinichi's eyes casted themselves upon the metal table. The metal table where the one man who wasn't watching him was currently kneeling on, his hands busy wringing a person's neck as he remained in between the individual's legs. A woman's legs. Shinichi's heart grew cold and his lungs seized to inhale, a giant ball of lead forming on the pit of his stomach as the creamy skin and unmistakable curves of the unclothed girl realized his very worst fear. The stinging sensation ran to his eyes, the knot in his throat extended to his chest, and his legs inconveniently fused themselves with the ground. He soon discovered with utmost exasperation, he could do nothing but stare.

As if she noticed his presence, the back of her head slowly turned to present the young face. Tears ran down her face as the accosting man continued to suffocate her; a faint smile appearing on her lips nevertheless, as her gaze fell upon the boy. A whisper of relief escaping her mouth.

"_Shinichi_..."

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"RAN!!!!"

Shinichi jerked from the bed with a start, his eyes wide in horror and panting harshly as a thin layer of sweat covered his entire body. He instinctively raised a hand to his throbbing chest; his heart was pounding so painfully, it seemed it would rip the skin and bones right open. He scanned the darkened room with shaky eyes—all his belongings were intact, the silence was still reigning in the night, the moonlight now painted the sheets in a pale white. His fingers trembled in distress, making him tighten that hand into a fist as he firmly shut his eyes. Pressing his cold forehead against his knees, his teeth rattled silently as he attempted to stabilize his breathing, somehow calm down despite the experience, but the deep wound that this recurring nightmare had left tonight, was stinging far more than ever before.

"Shinichi..?" Pronounced tiredly the sweet and delicate whisper of a young woman, accompanied by the cool touch of fingertips on his back as his eyes reopened, and his head turned to her. With a hard lump in his throat, he met the heart-warming image of the girl. Her drowsy, blue-violet wells of passion, overflowing with concern under the slight curls of her cocoa-colored bangs. Her round and rosy cheeks, and soft, creamy curves slightly hid behind the vanilla bedsheets, while her lonesome arm remained widely exposed as she touched his skin with preoccupation. She still observed him with that typical, unwavering innocence of hers, and her small body spoke of utmost care and unaltered purity. Shinichi's eyes filled with large tears. His precious girl.. she was _safe_...

The young man shut his eyes in an almost painful manner, his blue orbs becoming intolerably hot as he tightly embraced Ran's figure against his chest, and needily buried his head in her neck as the lump in his throat only tightened. Ran blushed slightly though, still highly-worried, her gaze turned quickly from left to right, desperation increasing with high speed as a few, unstable shakes rattled through the boy's body.

"Shinichi?" She questioned uneasily as her hands pressed his quivering back in support, swallowing down the lump that was developing in _her_ own throat. She could feel the young man's irregular breaths puff against her neck hotly, his hands and fingers burning her naked skin with aching force, as he embraced her with such strength, she had never seen or experienced in her life before.

Another shake broke through his body; this time stronger and even more reckless. Cold sweat was snaking down his back, as Ran could very well feel underneath her slightly-trembling fingers.

"Shi.. Shinichi? What's wrong?" Her voice quivered, shortly shutting her eyes tightly as she swallowed with roughness. This situation was scaring her immensely. "Shinichi... baby, what's wrong with you?" She whispered, half crying, as her arms continued to rub his back in reassuring attempts. "You're shaking..."

But he couldn't respond, and only tightened the embrace as he tried his hardest to suppress the threatening sobs in his mouth. Tears began to fall down his cheeks, his head continued to burn feverishly. That horrible dream.. it had even returned during this night. Always in that same pit, always walking slowly and tiredly through that corridor. The feeling of blood on his face, the utter fatigue.. the physical pain. Those reminiscences weren't nearly so traumatizing—every night, he could always remember them vividly. But the image of those perverted men.. touching _his_ girl, the sweet and angelical body of his Ran, and the exact, accurate detail in which she had appeared on that table. It had never, _ever_ been so realistic as tonight.

He felt Ran shift underneath his arms, putting pressure with her whole body onto his front, and lowering both of them back to the soft sheets. He nevertheless continued to hold her, mostly for comfort and not nearly as strongly as before, while Ran made not the slightest move to escape his embrace. Her small hand moved to rub his chest with slow and affectionate strokes, as she slightly moved her head to rest her cheek near his clavicles, giving him time to calm down. Small, reassuring whispers of "Shh, it's okay.." and "Don't worry—it was just a dream... just an ugly dream.." rolled off her tongue instinctively, her whole mind and every muscle concentrating only on him... on his shivers and quiet sniffs, on healing his broken heart...

Several minutes passed by, her touches continuing, and Ran faithfully pressing her lips against his skin whenever a small shake would return. She soon noticed with great relief that his body was slowly becoming warmer, the cold sweat effectively disappearing from his fragrant skin, and his shivers extinguishing into the night with every kiss. Smiling softly in mild contentment, her hands resumed their caring movements as a feminine and soothing melody escaped her closed lips in a hum, relaxing the boy even further and decreasing his distress with every passing second.

While humming slowly amidst the contrasting silence of the house, she suddenly had to wonder what had caused this sudden outburst of feelings from the man underneath her. Never, in their entire history together, had something like this happened before. Never had she seen that grievous look on his face. The slightly red cheeks and red eyes, burning in sadness as a glowing mirror of tears painted the beautiful orbs of lapis lazuli. The quivering, crimson lips; the nervous sweat on his muscles. She noted with a dark blush that he'd still made a breathtaking image, even after what happened, but never would she wish to see that expression on his face, ever again... Yes, it _was_ beautiful. But this strange and special beauty meant pain, and he would be the last person on this planet she'd ever even dream of wishing a malady to.

Noticing the relaxed rise and fall of his chest, as well as the no-longer racing rhythm of his heart, Ran raised her head the slightest bit to look at the young man's face. She noted the rosy hue, which was still existent on his cheeks—but nothing else. Physically speaking, he looked thoroughly recuperated. Realizing he was being observed, Shinichi looked at her for a small moment and dedicated a very weak smile, almost apologetic, as he turned his gaze to the side to avoid her eyes. There was a bit of embarrassment visible in him, maybe even some regret... why the latter, though?

"Are you okay?" Whispered Ran as she rested her cheek on her hand, examining his face as her fingers brushed his bangs in careful movements. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, his gaze moving in all directions as thoughts raced through his mind, though he did not speak. After a few seconds, a slow, affirmative motion of his head was the only sign of communication he gave, to later set his thoughtful gaze back to the dark, wooden floor. His expression was purely forlorn, and even though the tears were gone, Ran could not feel more distressed. This was _not_ typical behavior from Shinichi.

"Shinichi... Shinichi, look at me.. please.." she said lowly, cupping his cheek and turning his face to meet his eyes. Her lips parted the slightest bit to speak, but no words managed to escape her mouth. There was something inside of her that questioned the rightfulness of her actions, the appropriateness of her inquiry. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it? What if she was being too nosy? After all, it was probably just a dream. The image of his diamond tears and the revering look on his face as they made eye-contact swam into her mind. No—it was decided. Her deep concern for him won the psychological battle. "What happened..?" She questioned carefully, her hand caressing his cheek in slow and tender movements. Shinichi's hand fumbled with the sheets as it returned to rest on Ran's lower back, meanwhile biting his lips as he decided on whether or not telling her. He had never informed her of these nightmares, mainly due to the fact that she formed part of them. But then again, they had a pact... a promise to never again lie.

He sighed.. it was going to be a long night.

* * *

_Whaaaat? Okay.. that was so extremely random, though I still like it... xDD_

_Hm, what do you say.. shall we have a continuation? There are a lot of things that I did not explain yet and I hadn't intended to leave it like that, but the last sentence wrote itself in, and literally, I just stared at the computer and thought, "Did I just _end _this story?" xDDDDDDDDDDD I'm turning crazier by the day! Still! Let me know what you think, ok? n.n_

_LOVE you my dear readers! Have a beautiful day!_

_Rani-chan. _


	8. Fantasia Kouhen!

_Prepare yourselves for Big dialogues in this chapter!  
__Hope you like it… :)_

_**  
Disclaimer:**__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** Fantasia. Kouhen! 

**Summary:** _'A very long night indeed...'_

* * *

Shinichi gazed at the ceiling as the beginning symptoms of sleep invaded his eyes. Rubbing, tapping, and practically poking the tired eyelids, he tried all methods possible to remain awake in that warm bed, as he waited for Ran's return from the kitchen. He hadn't spoken a single word yet, and exactly at the moment when he'd forcefully convinced himself to confess his intolerable nightly-routine, Ran had suggested a glass of water for his parched throat and rose from the bed without a moment's hesitation. 

He suddenly had to blush at the memory, remembering how the unusual warmness of her body had separated from his own as she sat upright on the bed. The violin-shape of her naked back facing him, her eyes looking around the room for clothes, and embarrassedly snatching the first garment she saw: his shirt. She had buttoned it around her form rather clumsily, and quickly turned to him once she was _somewhat_ covered. Placing her lips on his forehead, she whispered a quick "I'll be right back!" as a heart-melting smile formed on her mouth. She had left the bedroom in all her goddess-like grace, leaving him breathless, and with no thoughts capable of any possible coherence.

For a few magical seconds, his thoughts had completely abandoned that horrendous nightmare...

"I'm back.." sang quietly the melodic voice of his girlfriend, silently making her way to the twin-sized bed as she held a round crystal glass in her hands. She sat down on the soft sheets as Shinichi rose from them; taking the gleaming cup from her hands once she handed it to him, he hastily drowned his insides with the cool liquid. It was strange.. how water had suddenly become one of the greatest luxuries to his body.

"You okay?" Asked Ran as she silently giggled, slipping inside the sheets as she waited for him to finish. He drank the last diamond of the glass, inhaling abruptly once he was done. "Yes" was the satisfied response as the soft _"cling"_ of the cup chimed against the night table. He turned to look at her, lying down once again on the warm bed and resting his head on his arms as the both of them settled comfortably. He noticed his entire thorax and abdomen lay exposed in the darkness of the room, the vanilla bed sheets hanging dangerously just above the pelvic area, though oddly enough, he didn't bother to fix the slight problem. His thoughts swam back to the infamous nightmare, and immediately chose to consider more serious matters as he gazed at the dim ceiling.

Images of walking through the dark basement appeared as a blur in his mind, his eyes instinctively closing and a weird sensation in his throat forming with every step he "took." He had thought in the past (with a bit of immaturity peppered with childish hope, he now had to admit) that he'd never have to inform Ran on this matter. It was just too bitter, too fresh of a memory to share with her— most _especially_ with her. A girl who cared so much for others; even for people whom she knew nothing of. What would occur if the words of the tragic tale fell upon her sensitive ears? Not to mention, the fact that Shinichi was the source of such narration…

He could no longer escape the unavoidable, though.

Shinichi turned his gaze to the right, observing the girl beside him with care. Her eyes were watching him as well, and an air of expectation suddenly became palpable as her fingers tentatively brushed his arm.

"I.. I think I'm ready." Announced Shinichi for the first time, his voice nevertheless not above a quiet murmur. He felt Ran's hand slip into his, her body scooting closer to his form and lying against him in a near-snuggle. She hummed an "okay.." as her warmth curiously managed to incentivize him, her mere presence and proximity giving him support. A calid sensation began to spread in his stomach. What strange things she was making him feel lately.

"I should probably start from the beginning.." explained Shinichi as he mentally prepared himself for the truth. He looked back at the face of his young lover. "Remember, about a month and a half ago, when I was at the hospital? I was held there for about a week and a half, right during the time the papers and reporters were going crazy with the collapse of the syndicate? Yes— before then, I was held captive by those people during 3 days, you remember that too?" A second effusive nod. "I.. I don't think I ever told you about what happened during the time I was there… I should have, but… well, it doesn't matter now. What happened a month or two ago has a lot to do with tonight, so just hear me out, ok?" He asked as a sheepish smile formed on his lips, earning an unsure yet optimistic nod from Ran.

"As you know, about a week prior to the dismantling of the organization, while I was still Conan, Hattori and I stumbled upon some leads as to the whereabouts of one of their most important members, someone whom personally, I had never met before but happened to be in close contact with the boss. I managed to place a tracker on his shoe after a big show, one of the beautiful things about being a small and clumsy-looking child, and so we were able to see where he went and effectively heard his conversations. We soon found out he was staying at a fairly near hotel for the night, and would meet another member of the syndicate early in the morning for some type of information exchange, so logically, we decided we couldn't do anything else for the moment and Hattori and I went back to Agasa's…

"We told hakase about the situation, though decided not to mention anything to Haibara. She would never allow us to follow these people if she were informed of our plans, so we kept them quiet. Because of the meeting between this man and his fellow member seemed to regard highly important information, and also because of their high-ranking in the syndicate, Hattori and I figured this was one of the best chances we would obtain, so we decided to give it our biggest and most daring shot. I told Haibara I wanted to meet you, I tell you, I practically begged and crawled on my feet for the pill, but I managed to convince her.. somehow, I still don't know how. But anyways, I took the initially temporary pill to regain my body, merely a couple of hours before sunset and the accorded meeting time, and along with Hattori and hakase, we drove off. The location of the gathering was far into the suburbs of the city, so it took about an hour or so for us to get there, though we used our time wisely. On the way, we let James and Jodie-sensei know about our plans and told them about the trackers along with bugs that we had hidden in our clothes. Agasa had the image of our tracking devices on his computer, and we sent the file to them so they could be up-to-date on any news, and look over us as well. We got there not too long after. I had Agasa return home before Haibara would find out about us, and I asked him to call you and tell you we had all gone out for camping, or something along those lines. He promised to keep an extremely close eye on us, and that if anything should happen, the FBI which had already been informed, would be contacted immediately by him and would be there in a matter of minutes. The plan was settled, and off we were.

"We spent 45 minutes waiting inside a shaggy and practically deserted café, before both of the men's voices were suddenly heard through my earpiece. We left the place and went directly to their location, stood about 20 meters away from them as we hid in an alley beside an abandoned building, and listened to their conversation, which went on for about 10 minutes. We managed to catch the codes they used for the location of the syndicate in between their talk, but other than that, the information we found out was fairly irrelevant to our interests; either that or we couldn't really understand them. Anyhow, in a matter of seconds, a car not belonging to either man speaking, was parked near them and we suddenly saw Vermouth come out."

"Vermouth?" Questioned Ran with evident curiosity.

"Chris Vineyard, though it was actually Sharon herself…" Ran's expression changed into one of understanding and sadness, though she didn't actually comment anything but an "oh, I see...".

Shinichi noticed this, so he decided to continue quickly. "So anyhow, we decided to inform the FBI on the addition of a new member to the meeting. I called Jodie, though I hung up as soon as she answered since the three of them started to get closer to where Hattori and I were. When we were about to turn for a safer location to hide at, one of the Organization's men who looked like he'd just gotten there, hit me straight on the back of my head and I fell unconscious. Hattori later told me he had earlier picked up a metal club off of the floor and he knocked out the guy right before he'd get him as well. The three members of the organization apparently heard the struggle, and flew right to the alley with their guns, so Hattori was forced to flee the scene…"

"He left you?!" Exclaimed the girl as her face turned pale in horror, though still listening to Shinichi's story very attentively.

"Well, he had to, otherwise they would've gotten him as well… besides, if they had knocked him out, then there wouldn't have been a chance for anyone to find us." Reasoned the man with a small, wise smile.

"So anyhow, Hattori miraculously managed to escape. It turned out later, the FBI got there in about 10 minutes and he told them about the codenames for the organization's main location. They figured out the meaning of the codes around 36 hours later."

"But you, Shinichi?" Asked Ran slowly, almost fearfully, as she sat up on the bed and clenched her fists in breathless anticipation. For a moment, she seemed like a small child, listening intently to an extremely suspenseful and scary story. The pigtails were the only thing missing.

"As for myself, I woke up in a small room with my hands tied behind me…" resumed the boy with a helpless expression as his hands returned to their beloved hangout spot, right behind his head. "I guess Vermouth must've convinced the other men of taking me along with them, otherwise I would have been killed right in that alley… Anyhow, when I woke up, they had taken all of my clothes, except my jeans. I figured they found the bugs all over me, 'cause I didn't even have my shoes on.. I had hidden transmitters in both soles, but anyway. The place itself was a pit. A really small room, had no light coming in except for a faraway window at the very top of the wall, right near the ceiling. It was pretty cold, and I could hear no sounds. I had to wonder for a while how I even got there… until my head started to throb and I remembered the hard pound that I had gotten.

"Just as I was about to stand up and figure out how I could get out of there, a man blasted right through the door; all dressed in black, of course. He was about 1'90 in height, 80 or 90 kilograms. Huge guy… the most aggressive one in there. He began to ask questions, none of which I could answer without putting anybody in danger, so I kept my mouth shut. Obviously, the interrogation with him just got worse with every second— he, uhm... well, he used physical incentives to make me talk, to put it that way. The first time, he was probably there for 15 minutes before he left.

"Not even a minute had gone by, another man popped in through the door, but this time he was much, much smaller. Tiny, and had that fatherly-type of personality. The fake uncle came in and pretended to be pained from seeing me hurt, shirtless and lonely. He asked me things like 'Boy, what are you doing in a place like _this_?' and feigned deep concern. I knew he was trying his hardest to soften me up, get me talking somehow; that's a technique for interrogation, did you know Ran?"

The girl shook her head effusively as her fists gripped the material of Shinichi's shirt tightly— she couldn't possibly remember a time when she'd been as interested, yet as saddened by one same story.

"It's widely used among corrupt police…" He said thoughtfully, as if trying to remember a rough description from an old document, or file he couldn't entirely recall. "They'll usually place a particularly strong yet corpulent interrogator, and he will try to get information out of you. If you resist, he'll torture you until you're ready to drop. He'll eventually leave, though… but once he does, they will immediately place another one back in the room. Now, this new guy… he's gotta be a lot smaller, a lot nicer… he'll seem caring, and sweet, and kind-hearted; he will make you think he's against all of his co-workers' unjust actions. He'll talk to you as if you were his son, and his presence will remind you of your own family, and you'll remember how lonely you really are. That's when you begin to collapse, and go through a complete emotional breakdown. That's his opportunity. He'll try to make you feel better as he starts asking questions. Things like: how you got there; if you're alone; if you go to school. Where's your family, your friends; do you have a girlfriend? You do? Why isn't she with you? Is she alone at home..?

"In the end, they're both equally horrendous. Both want to get information out of you, with the slight difference that one tortures you physically, the other emotionally. It's… it's just…" He shut his eyes and let out a shaky sigh, as his fingers pressed the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes. Words were tight in his throat and just wouldn't come out of his lips.

Ran lowered herself to lie on top of him, her cheek pressed against his warm chest as an audible gulp resounded in the room. Her eyes were wide in shock, and she felt the intolerable and stinging sensation of tears as she kissed his skin lovingly. She wouldn't cry. Not now. She would at least wait until tomorrow; maybe then she would melt down completely and bawl like an idiot.

Taking Shinichi's silence as an opportunity to organize her thoughts, she suddenly had to realize that the boy hadn't specified on any of the matters that dealt with his personal experience. She felt saddened by his avoidance, though anger quickly replaced that emotion at the mere thought of Shinichi suffering the torture of those people. Never sharing those experiences with any one but himself; having to undergo the sorrow and sheer cruelty of Memory. A sensation of strong and freezing hands suddenly gripped her heart coldly, so she pressed her upper body further against him.  
He wouldn't endure this tragedy alone. Not anymore…

"Shinichi…"

A soft hum was his only response.

"You.. you mentioned that a man had gone in your room; an aggressive man. And that he had— what was it..? He had used 'physical incentives' against you… what did… what did you m-mean by that?" Asked Ran with mourning eyes as she rose slightly to gaze into his Caribbean-blue orbs. Shinichi gulped, yet made no signs of discontentment or utter disapproval of her question. He hesitated for a few seconds, struggling with words, until those round lips finally parted.

"He did different things… depending on his mood, I guess. The first time he came in, he had just beaten me regularly. There wasn't anything particular about it, besides being a simple act of violence. The second time… pff, it was so odd. He had brought a water bucket along with him. I had no clue what he wanted to do with that, until I noticed a towel hanging on his shoulder. He sank the towel in the water, wrung it, got me on my chest, and he started to slash my back with it."

"Why didn't you punch his lights out? Why didn't you try to escape, Shinichi?" Questioned Ran desperately as tears seriously threatened to spill.

"My hands were still tied behind me with a metal wire… and not only that, but he had previously injected me with something. I later found out it was Succhinylcholine. That stuff paralyzes your muscles, though leaves you conscious and very well aware of your surroundings. It was probably the reason behind why the antidote became permanent, since it altered my nervous system. I still tried to escape though, get out of there… but I… I really couldn't move." He whispered lowly, moistening his dried lips in a subconscious movement of discomfort. "Don't cry, Ran…" Was the slight murmur of the boy, as Ran's hands quickly brushed the crystal pearls from her eyes.

"I'm.. I'm sorry… go on, Shinichi."

He continued once she seemed settled. "Well-uhm… from that moment onwards, things just got worse every time this man came in. He would always begin by asking me, for example, where Sherry was. You know, Haibara's codename in the organization..."

"Wait… How did they know that you and Ai-chan were friends?" She questioned with still rosy eyes.

"They didn't… they just knew that we were somehow acquainted with each other, since they had found the transmitters in my clothes, to be the same ones they had found on Haibara before. They assumed I knew where she was. But in any way, I didn't answer him a single time. And that's why I always got mauled by those people. He… Are you sure you want to know about this?" Asked Shinichi unsurely, his brow furrowing in displeasure. Ran nodded in determination, despite the fact she was still sniffing from time to time.

"After the first two occasions he came to the room I was being held in, he decided to take me to another room, but this time, the place had a small difference. It was a bathroom, with its bathtub against one of the walls and rotten things all around it. Anyway, it all started with a question. He would ask me something, and if I didn't answer, he would force my head into the water of the bathtub for a couple of seconds, though for enough time to make me feel like I was drowning. Then he would lift my head once again, and repeated the process if I still didn't cooperate. They called this technique 'the submarine.'

"Another thing that they did, while I was in the regular room they held me in, was slam their fists against my eardrums if I didn't talk. It… it causes for your hearing to disappear, temporarily of course, and a high buzzing sound pierces through your head a few seconds later. People usually lose their hearing from going through this, though they only did it to me once or twice, so it didn't make any changes inside my ear. They called it 'the telephone.'"

Shinichi let out a sigh and looked at Ran's teary eyes, his hand subconsciously moving to touch the pale soft, pinkish skin of her cheek. His gaze quickly became distant. "The worst torture technique of them all though, was the psychological torture… You won't imagine the number of times they threatened to kill my family, or my friends… everything if I didn't talk. After a while, one of them came in with another story altogether. He told me that they had captured you as well, that you were in the building, and that if I didn't give out the information they needed, that they would do 1,001 things with you… Death would just come in later."

"I was sickened by his methods to try to control me. I was absolutely sure they hadn't gotten you; I had various reasons to believe that you were safe, and that they were lying to me just to get me talking. But it was intolerable. Every time this guy came in, I just knew he would bombard me with all sorts of ideas, hiss for hours on just exactly _how_ they were attacking you. It was… it was horrendous.  
I tried my hardest not to let his words get in my head… I had to look at the situation logically. There wasn't one bit of realism behind his tale, and yet… In the end, it apparently _did_ affect me."

Ran looked at Shinichi widely, her lips parted in awe as she couldn't help but to press her body closer to his, providing further comfort for the sorrowful boy. Despite the fact he had purposefully excluded the details behind the interrogators' conversations with him, she completely understood the raw, coarse reality of his tale. Those savages had wanted to control his feelings; they knew his fears, and weaknesses. They used the dirtiest, most repugnant method they could possibly think of, realized Ran hotly as her hands closed into tight fists.

"For weeks I had nightmares about it all… Going through the pain again; seeing… seeing all of those things happen to you. Even after the Organization had been dismantled; even after I had escaped from that building, and more than an entire month had gone by, I continued to wake up at night, sweating as if I'd run a marathon and gasping for breath. I mean… It just isn't fair. I spend months entrapped in the body of a child, trying to lead my normal life even though everything about it has changed… **That** I can take, since it _was_ my fault that I followed those men down that alley. Alright; but to have to endure torture for days, hearing the worst people in the planet telling you how they're torturing and violating your girlfriend? No. That's far too much. And not only that, but to also have my stupid mind _believe_ them (at least to some point..)… It's ridiculous! You'd think Kami-sama would have pity on me by now, but nooooo, Shinichi has _got _to learn from his mistakes! No question about it…" His fingers rubbed his eyes and forehead in distress, he suddenly felt like crying again. "I just don't know anymore, Ran… I don't know what to do…"

"…To make it go away..?" Said the girl, her voice barely above a whisper as her face approached his. Shinichi nodded, his blue eyes reopening to look at her directly. "To make it go away…" was his quiet murmur, slowly shutting his eyes as Ran lowered her head to kiss him softly. Her lips were so warm… the velvet soft skin felt so awfully good to the touch, he couldn't help but to sigh slightly, smiling a second later as he felt Ran shudder in his arms. She was so incredibly sensitive…

"You _do_ know… that nobody's ever.. t-touched me, right? Shinichi..?" Whispered the girl with crimson cheeks, embarrassed from head to toe about the question, yet feeling the intense need to reassure him. Shinichi's eyes widened in surprise, though a candid smile soon found its way to his lips. "I believe I do! I mean, after last night…" Ran's cheeks flushed with even _more_ blood, if that was humanly possible.

"Unless, of course… you wanna remind me again that I've been the only one with you... I surely wouldn't mind…" He proposed with a mischievous smile, earning a playful slap on his shoulder from the girl-turned-tomato. "It seems like _someone_ has already recuperated…" She hinted in partial disbelief, though she continued to remain on top of him, her fingers caressing her lips as she attempted to hide her own shy smile. "Remind you, huh?" Shinichi's grin slightly bared his white teeth, a male hand soon slipping inside the back of her shirt to touch her warm skin in response. Ran shivered in pleasure as her eyes shut tightly; he always had to do that, didn't he?

Opening her eyes, they soon managed to close again as Shinichi kissed her jaw and ears. His hot breath on her neck was forming small, pretty goosebumps on her skin. "I don't.. I don't know if I should let you…" was her whiny sigh, her breath and heartbeat quickening as her only piece of underwear was slowly managing to slip away.

"O-okay…" was her second whimper, "I don't mind a reminder…" She lifted her upper body a bit as Shinichi's arms caressed the entire length of her back, taking off the male shirt she wore and carelessly throwing it to the ground. Her body was pressed against his once again, his hands carefully returning to her behind, and slowly, almost teasingly playing with the lace of her underwear. "Gosh, just take that _off_, will you?" She said with a trembling voice and a little too impatiently, blushing madly as a hearty laugh escaped Shinichi's lips. He was enjoying himself far too much…

_'Yes… this will be.. a very long night indeed...'_ he thought with a wide grin.

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_You guys… cannot imagine the mile-wide, toothy, ecstatic grin (highly similar to Shinichi's) that is on my face right now… xDDD  
He who says writing is not fun, is an idiot. xD Ah! just kidding! But really, in moments like this, you can't help but love the art of communication, ne? n//n_

_Oh, before I forget, I'd like to mention that the torture techniques that I've described earlier, are actual Facts. Unfortunately... ú.uU  
If you'd like to know more about them, please feel free to contact me. I'll be happy to inform you. :)_

_And finally, Thank you for reading!!! n-n It is a pleasure to share my stories with you, and I truly hope you enjoy them as much as I do! _

_'Til next time!_

_Rani-chan.  
_


	9. A Study on Natural Impulse

_Oh.. my.. gosh! It took less than a month!!!!!!!!! Yaaaaaaaay! xDDDD _

_I can't believe I'm celebrating, what would be labeled as a "decent" update.. this is getting so sad. n.nUU_

_Anyhow, enjoy! ;D  
_

_**Disclaimer:**__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

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**Title:** A Study on Natural Impulse

**Summary:** _Who would've thought that a lesson on physiology could be so sweet…_

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The high-pitched "_riiiiiiiiiing"_ of the school bell pierced through the once-silent Teitan high school; enthusiastic jovial voices and rushing footsteps echoing through the hallways as the only two classes left in the entire school, exited the large auditorium. The senior students had been obliged to stay after school, supposedly for the graduation-trip preparations, though in reality they hadn't accomplished anything in the least important. "A pointless waste of precious time" Shinichi decided was the correct terminology as he grumpily slipped his hands inside his warm pockets.

"I didn't have much to do afterschool, anyway!" Commented an optimistic Hondou Eisuke, noticeably much more cheerful ever since he'd returned from his previous home in the States.

"Oh,_ I_ did! My gosh, I wasted an entire hour and a half in there, when I should've spent my time at the mall, searching for my beautiful dress for tonight!" Whined Sonoko with teary eyes. "I've only got 3 hours to get ready before I see Makoto-san now…"

"I thought you and Ran had already gone to buy that dress last weekend…" Replied Shinichi in confusion, his eyes soon lowering to their knowing, half-moon position. "Don't tell me you two got sidetracked again…"

"Oh, but all for a good cause! Ran got this-" "Sonoko!" "-beautiful pearl white underwear, embroidered in silk with-" "Sonoko, stop it!!" "tiny pink roses and light green leaves… and that's just the bra! You have _got_ to see the panties!"

"There is **no way** I'm showing Shinichi that!!!" Exclaimed Ran with boiling crimson cheeks, her hands clenched into fists while both Shinichi and Eisuke blushed intensely.

"Ooooh, but whoever mentioned _Shinichi-kun_ seeing them?" Wondered Sonoko with feigned innocence, smirking in victory as Ran's cheeks began to emanate a very warm vapor.

"What? What about Mouri-san and panties?" Asked Hideo with genuine interest. "Hey! just kidding! Just kidding!" He added nervously, noting in dismay the extremely dangerous daggers Shinichi was shooting him visually. The group of teenagers stepped out into the autumn school fields, the sound of red leaves crunching beneath their feet as they walked to the widely-opened gates. The air was cooling, and their cheeks flushed with blood as they moved ahead.

"I gotta head that way, for once." Announced Hideo as he motioned his head to the left. "I'm visiting my grandma near Mitsuwa. Oh, and I have to stop by the hospital… though I might take a stop at that new café, before then. They've got some good mochas, man!" He grinned happily as he took a sip of his bottled water.

"Why are you going to the hospital?" Wondered Eisuke curiously.

"Visit Watanabe for a little while… you know, since he fell in that well." He responded casually, shaking the bottle with awe. "Hey, look! Bubbles…"

"What do you mean 'since he fell in that well'? What well?" Questioned Sonoko with a quirked eyebrow.

"The water well… I didn't tell you about it?" All of them shook their heads. "Well, he got distracted and fell in a water well." Was his simple description as he placed the mouth of the bottle against his lips once again; meanwhile, Shinichi almost choked on the gum he chew, and the other teenagers' jaws dropped. "What do you mean he fell in a water well?! What in the world-"

"Our drama class, we all went to that new park near Beika Square to perform on the street (it was a type of practice, just for our improvisational skills), and Watanabe was busy looking elsewhere, and he tripped, and fell in the pit that's near the center of the park."

"M-my gosh, is he okay??" Asked Ran worriedly, though a grin threatened to form on her lips from the strange indifference with which such an odd story had been narrated. Her friends were certainly not restraining themselves from the laughter.

"I don't know; they had to call the fire department and get him out with an escalator… then they took him to the hospital. Anyway, I gotta get going, it's freezing out here…. And why are you guys laughing, it's not _that_ funny."

"The guy's your best friend!" "Yeah… so?" "So? So you remember to mention it a week later, and mind you, you comment on the tale with complete casualness, as if friends falling down water wells were the most natural things in the world… You do realize the strangeness of this whole situation, do you?" Confronted Shinichi, despite the fact he was still brushing the tears from his eyes and trying his hardest to keep from going into a fit of laughter.

Hideo stood quiet for a moment, seemingly pensive, though he quickly brushed it off. "I don't know Kudou, you and your philosophies of the world…"

"Eh?"

"I'm off!" And with an inviting offer to any poor soul who'd have to endure his constant rattle, yet still want to accompany him to the hospital, he departed with a volunteering Hondou Eisuke to the left road. Shinichi, Ran, and Sonoko continued to walk through their usual route; the girls engaging in some friendly girl-talk as Shinichi kept a safe 3-meter-distance from them; wincing at the mere idea of accidentally overhearing any bit of their overly-feminine conversations. He just knew they were having one— the teasing look on Sonoko's face, a constantly blushing Ran, the consistent set of giggles that broke off. He had come to recognize those as downright obvious signs of "girl talk." He shivered at the term.

The young detective continued to walk, with his hands in his pockets, as he turned his gaze in mild wonder to the sky; its dark purple and reddish tints, airbrushed with the orange hues of the setting sun. It was a spectacular, November afternoon; charged in its peculiar coldness, yet warmed with the colorful skies and lava-red falling leaves. He always enjoyed the season, for some inexplicable and not yet defined reason. Maybe there was just something about the _crinch crush crinch crush_ as people stepped on the crimson leaves… Or the hollow sound of the whooshing wind; though such could be noticed in white winters as well.

'_I'll never figure it out…'_ He thought with half-moon eyes; though not very preoccupied with the subject anyway.

"So how are you and Shinichi-kun hitting it off? He's been back for a week already…" Began Sonoko, a sincere look of interest as she walked beside Ran. The latter blushed lightly, though a sad and small smile formed on her lips. "We're just friends… I don't think he'll say anything."

"Anything..?" "I don't think he likes me that way, Sonoko… I just… I don't see it happening between us…" She clarified truthfully, turning her gaze behind her as she spoke. Sonoko's breath halted as she noticed the devotional, yet saddened glimmer in her eyes as she looked at the man behind them. "But really, I'm just happy that he's back… we're still good friends…"

'_Ran…'_ "Cheer up, you silly girl!" She suddenly exclaimed with happiness, slapping her friend's back with a little too much force, as both Shinichi and Ran snapped out of their thoughts. "Don't lose hope, Ran." She whispered secretly in her ear, smiling broadly and shaking the girl's shoulder in support as she quickly turned around to stare at Shinichi with annoyance. In other words, she was back to her typical mood. "Hey, you, mystery-otaku. I assume you're walking Ran home today, ne?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I am…" Responded the detective with an equal degree of irritation, deciding to join the girls in their walk. "I always do."

"As a faithful, loving husband... Good for you then." Sonoko commented casually, ignoring the stammering and blushing cheeks of her companions. "Anyway, I have to leave you, lovebirds. My prince charming is waiting upon my arrival on his beautiful white horse, so I shall bid you goodbye! Have fun, sweets…" She grinned happily, skipping her way to the recently-parked limousine and slipping into the black interior of the vehicle.

The childhood friends continued to walk towards Ran's residence, staying fairly close so they wouldn't lose each other amidst the large numbers of people on the street. The warm sunset was now close to its end; the sky quickly transforming its colors to a cool shade of indigo, as a few streaks of magenta lonely remained as a memento of the once-visible sun. The air was chilling considerably as well, and the sound of rustling leaves chanted through the air as the wind picked up its speed. Shinichi snuggled deeper into his new scarf, soft and warm in its red yarn, as he gazed at his small and pretty companion. Her cheeks were flushing from the cold, and her lips quivered silently, despite the fact she also wore a scarf around her neck. Without allowing himself a second to repent, he snaked a friendly arm around her back, and rested his hand near her clavicles; taking a second to secretly enjoy in pure pleasure, the rise of color in her round cheeks. With a merry smile on his face, he slightly rubbed her shoulder in a playful manner. "Do you want to get something hot to drink? You look like you're freezing, little one…"

Ran smiled with mild skepticism. "You're probably saying that because _you_ are freezing to death." Shinichi scratched his cheek nervously. "It is pretty cold though… so we can go somewhere if you want…" She murmured shyly, her cheeks still blushing as she noticed that he wasn't about to remove his arm anytime soon. The young man exclaimed something in contentment, and practically dragged her to a café; a warm smile soon forming on her lips as she gazed at the childish and happy-go-lucky side of her best friend.

::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::-::-::-::-::-::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::/::

Ran brought the coffee cup to her lips, enjoying the exquisite warmth that spread through her mouth and throat as the sweet, _sweet_ nectar caressed her insides. The autumn weather couldn't possibly be any cooler, and she occasionally made small and quick jumps to remain warm as she waited at the bus stop in the company of Shinichi. They both had decided that the idea of touring Beika, sounded much more attractive than wasting time in a crowded coffee shop. So as soon as their cold fingers had embraced their drinks, they had rushed out of the café and stepped out into the coldness of the night. They walked to the nearest bus stop, hoping to find some quick method of transportation, for they wanted to visit a fairly distant park around the tranquil skirts of Beika.

Said bus suddenly appeared merely 15 meters away, and Ran tugged on an absent Shinichi's sleeve to bring him back to Earth. "Whaa-"

"Bus is here." She announced as she took another gulp of her coffee. "Wake up; you've been like a zombie lately."

Shinichi grunted in response, rubbing his eyes in a subconscious movement as he stifled a yawn. "I know cases are fun, but try not to stay until too late… 'cause then you're falling asleep right in the middle of class." She advised candidly, her brow furrowed in preoccupation as she saw his half-lidded orbs.

"I'm trying, 'kaasan…" He responded mockingly, a grin on his lips as Ran shook her head in resignation. "Drink up; let's see if that coffee does any good to your system, ne?" She said as a warm smile spread on her lips; soon not being able to suppress the shy blush that formed on her cheeks, as she looked at her friend for a little longer than needed. To her relief, he didn't seem to fully realize why her cheeks became tinted in rose, and he simply insisted with full casualness that she get on the now-present bus.

The friendly couple moved up the small set of stairs, shortly meeting the face of a woman, probably in her early 30's, who sat on the driver's seat of the large and fairly crowded bus. Ran was about to tell her their destination so they'd pay the correct fare for the ride, when the woman's tea-colored eyes fell upon Shinichi. "Excuse me, have I… Have I seen you before?"

Shinichi seemed a bit taken aback, though a small and polite smile quickly masked the emotion. "Perhaps… you may have seen me on the papers lately— my name is Kudou Shinichi." The woman's eyes instantly widened in shock, and she turned to rummage through what looked like a purse, as Ran and Shinichi exchanged glances. They didn't notice the number of people whose attention had been caught by the display.

The woman turned to face them, a magazine and Sharpie on her hands as her cheeks flushed the darkest shade of crimson. "C-could you s-sign..? Kudou-san?" She begged dreamily, resisting the urge to yelp in excitement as Shinichi took the marker from her hands. His eyebrow quirked in surprise as he took the magazine, soon displaying the article's picture and text to Ran so she could see as well. "Have you seen this before? I didn't even know they _wrote_ this stuff…" He commented as an enormous narrative and page-long picture of himself gazed back at the two teenagers. "You'd think they'd at least _inform_ me of this, don't they know, it's just common courtesy…" he mumbled lowly as he began to write an autograph at the bottom of the picture, making Ran giggle silently as the bus driver resumed the engine. He returned the magazine once finished, earning a toothy, ecstatic, and even revering smile from the 30-year-old as she bowed respectfully. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Kudou-san!"

"No problem…" he grinned with a small shrug, looking at Ran unsurely as to what to do next.

"Uh— we'll be going to Haido Park, down on Tokugawa Street… I believe it's 1200 yen, for the two of us…" Announced the girl with a small smile, taking her pink-cat wallet to pay the fare.

"Oh, it'll be 600 yen." Responded the woman casually.

"600?" Repeated Ran's as her eyes widened in pure surprise; that was a ridiculously low price.

"Yes… You, mister..." She explained as the bus stopped to let somebody out, taking a second to turn her body around to flash a broad and flirtatious smile. "…are _not_ paying"

Ran's mouth was left wide open, and she couldn't help but to stare in awe as the tiny cotton-cat lay innocently inert in her hands. Shinichi, for his part, had widened his eyes considerably, and a small, unbelieving smirk was lightly formed on his lips. "I'm not paying…?" The woman smiled widely.

Ran started to laugh openly, shaking her head in disbelief as she stared at the ground. "This kind of stuff only happens to him… Okay! Well, I guess you're riding for free, Shinichi… Thank you!" She told the woman, with a shocked yet earnest smile, as she took out the coins to pay her ticket. She turned for a second with a hopeful blush. "Do _I_ have to pay?"

"I'm sorry, honey." Murmured the woman with a smile as Ran shrugged in defeat and inserted the coins. "Go get a seat…" was her whisper to Shinichi; the boy instantly following her orders, and blushing in embarrassment as he noticed the numerous whispers and broad grins of the passengers. Did they hear everything..?

Seeing that no seats were available, he gripped one of the bars in the bus for support, and shortly saw Ran walk towards him. The girl slipped her wallet in her pocket as she moved to stand by his side; the two of them soon staring out the window in a comfortable silence, as the flashing and colorful lights of the city brushed their features with swiftness. There was something relaxing about the situation… Despite the fact they were in a bus, and it was fairly noisy; or that both men and women took occasional looks at them with interest. They were finally together, and that was all that mattered…

Close to a half of the hour went by, and Shinichi simply cupped Ran's elbow to take her to the doors of the bus, once he realized their stop was near. Ringing the bell and walking down the stairs, they both got off as the large bus came to a halt, laughing in amusement as the cheery voice of the bus driver exclaimed a "Goodbye, Kudou-san!" Shinichi waved back at the woman just as the bus began to move away; the two teenagers continuing their walk in the midst of the chilly wind, before shortly encountering the deserted park. Large, evergreen trees surrounded the silent area, and they walked on the fresh green grass and around the large vegetation, as they approached the farthest section of the land. The trees soon began to subside, and the clear view of silver shimmering water appeared before them, as they stared at one of the largest rivers in the area. Ran's lips quickly parted in awe, and she couldn't help but express soft whispers of amazement as the waxing moon's reflection brightly glimmered on the water.

Shinichi grinned knowingly, deciding to sit on the soft grass as he sipped the lukewarm contents of his cup. Ran had always been deeply astonished by the beauty of this river; every time they had come here, and ever since they were small kids. Her eyes would always light up, and she would gaze at the surreal scenery for long periods of time. A warm smile of relief spread on Shinichi's lips, and he suddenly felt joyful at the conception that Ran had indeed, never changed. Even after so many years, and so many experiences – both lovely and unpleasant – she was still the same, innocent and sensitive child he had met once, as a young cheerful boy himself. The feeling of consolation from this inalterability was becoming overwhelmingly warm…

"So how are you feeling now? Still sleepy?" Began Ran with a content smile, sitting beside him as she snuggled deeper into her warm jacket.

"Nah, I'm okay now…" He grinned back, soon returning his attention to move the contents of his warm cup.

"Hey, so how was your case last night? You were up until an unusually late hour again…"

"Hm. The usual… We just had to go to the police station to interrogate the 'accused'— heck, I don't think I'm ever doing_ that_ again… They're always beating around the bush, taking 30 minutes to tell you one single thing. And then they think they can lie to you, after they've practically got their hands dripping with someone's blood. I mean c'mon… police officers may not be too observant at times, but they're not stupid. It just breaks my patience." He said with half-moon eyes, placing the plastic cup on the grass as he fully reclined to gaze at the stars. They weren't too bright this evening; probably since the moon was so large tonight.

"I always wondered how police ever manage to tell if a person is lying or not, during those interrogations… are they just born with that capability?" She asked curiously, turning to look at the grinning boy.

"No way! …There are things that police can look at to determine if someone is being honest or not."

"Like what..?" Ran urged him with interest, hugging her legs to her chest as she looked at him.

"Well, they look at movements of the eye, dilation of pupils, impulsive movements of the hands— things like that, which tell you if the person is dubitative in responding, or if they feel uncomfortable." Explained the detective casually, a thoughtful expression on his eyes as he gazed at the sky. "There are things we do all the time, which we don't notice, or can't even control. Like impulses… They're instinctive."

"For example..?" She asked once again, laughing a little at her own insistence as Shinichi raised his upper body from the ground. He was grinning as well. "Well, for example…" His eyes scanned the river's water in thought, brushing his hands against the cool grass absentmindedly. "Okay— for example, the reasons why people find each other attractive. It's all instinctive. And a big part of it actually has to do with symmetry."

"Symmetry..?"

"Yes— the more symmetric a person is; say, their ears are evenly shaped, their eyes are equidistant from the nose, their eyebrows are the same, etcetera, the more attractive she, or he, will be." Explained Shinichi with a grin, looking at an astounded Ran whose lips kept opening and closing in speechlessness. Time suddenly seemed to crawl with feet of lead as they gazed at each other; almost an entire minute of thoughtful silence forcefully ticking by. "You mean that… good-looking people… they are symmetric?" Shinichi nodded his head with certainty.

"Of course, there are also other factors that play a role…" He added, immediately noticing the intense interest that radiated from Ran, regarding this particular subject. "Everything is through instinct… we don't notice it, but it's essential to us. For example— I'll tell you this one first, since you're a girl…

"When women look for a partner, or a 'mate' scientifically speaking, they'll instinctively look at a man's shoulders to determine how broad they are. The broader, the more attractive the man is, and that's only because the width of the shoulders demonstrates how strong he is. It all has to do with preservation of the species. If a man is healthy, and physically strong, it means that he's able to protect future offspring from any possible danger. That's the only reason why strength is so important."

"So.. it's only broad shoulders?" Whispered Ran with rosy cheeks, glancing at Shinichi a little too secretly.

"Why, you have something to correct in that theory?" Grinned Shinichi seductively, earning a grumbled "never mind" from the embarrassed girl as she hid her cheeks. How she hated when he smiled at her like that! Her body was far too sensitive to his expressions.

"So anyhow..!" Said Shinichi casually, enjoying the mildly quiet interruption of the night's silence. "Men, on the other hand, obviously look elsewhere."

"Gosh, where could that be?" Murmured Ran with half-lidded eyes, though still interested in hearing what he had to say. Never before had they once sat down, and talked about men and women falling in love with each other physically. It was a highly sexual conversation, she had to admit with hot cheeks.

"The hips… we instinctively look at the hips to see how wide they are." Responded Shinichi as he took the final gulp of his drink.

"What? Wait— that doesn't really make sense… I thought men-"

"Yes; most people would think that men instinctively look at a woman's butt, or her chest, or her waist, but believe it or not, those areas are not relevant to the preservation of human beings. They have nothing to do with reproduction." Explained Shinichi factually. "The hips show how capable a woman is of giving birth. The wider – yet proportional – they are, the greater chances she has of successfully bringing a child to the world, so she seems more attractive to the eye." Finished the detective as he looked at the river's silver glimmer, his eyes reflecting the moon's shine as he redirected his gaze to the girl next to him. He had to admit, she looked so pretty with her seemingly-black hair brushing her cheeks so teasingly, her small hand always reaching up to brush the strands aside. Her lips were so full, and their texture so soft, like the true and lively petals of a rose. He shifted his shy gaze to the dark yet shimmering river; blushing in mild embarrassment at his perpetual and even intensifying fascination for Ran. He was staring at her far too much lately… thank goodness she was so inattentive.

"And finally, there are other important aspects that affect how attractive a person might seem." He resumed with a casual smile, forcefully attempting to brush off his thoughts as he moved his fingers against the cold grass. "These can be applied to either men or women who are in love with each other, and can perfectly well be instantaneous reactions of the body that we cannot control. They are true, instinctive and fully natural impulses." He announced with determination, quickly regaining Ran's absolute attention, as he noticed with a grin.

"In its chemical aspect, when two people are attracted to one another, they secrete special sexual hormones— testosterone and estrogen being the most famous of them all. Of course, there are others, like oxytocin, which is released particularly during.. uh— well, sexual activity. Orgasm to be specific, but anyway!" He exclaimed as an invisible scratch formed on his head, his cheeks flushing just as darkly as Ran's. "There are other chemicals as well, which come out through sweat, and are said that send odorless messages between couples. Dopamine is also released by the brain when in love. This chemical causes for a person's blood pressure to rise, and the heart to race like crazy. Actually, dopamine is released when a person takes cocaine, so that tells you.. the feelings are just as potent."

"Cocaine?? No way— are you serious?" Asked Ran incredulously, receiving an assured nod from the young man. "Yes.. as potent as cocaine... But those are just the chemical changes. The most obvious differences in the body are the ones that take place physically." He grinned arrogantly, his eyes glimmering beyond what could be considered "normal" as they deeply penetrated her own, his knee being the only part of his body that slowly rocked from left to right, completely absentmindedly. Ran's heart thumped as she looked at him, the poor organ soon accelerating into a swift palpitation as she felt her face become warmer. Could that strange dopamine be producing in her brain as well..?

"The physical changes include…" he resumed slowly, moving his painfully-observant gaze towards the sparkling water. "The flush of blood to the cheeks, of course… The instant expansion of the lips' size, making them fuller and rosier… And finally, the dilation of the pupils. When a person is in love with another, the moment he looks at his lover, his pupils will instinctively dilate. It can't be helped, it's completely impulsive…" Smiled Shinichi sheepishly, gazing at the river's water in thought, as Ran shyly directed her gaze to look at him. Her eyes soon devoured the so-incredibly attractive image; one where the youthful figure of her childhood friend, was lightly bathed in the wan moonlight, and the sweet expression of reverie that characterized him so well, tinted his finely-chiseled features with grace. He looked beautiful… genuinely beautiful, and Ran could not help but to gaze, with a crimson blush nonetheless, into his sapphire eyes in mild desperation; needing to see how those pupils looked. She was needy, and thirsty, and downright _hungry_ for the information; dying to finally learn, after all of these years, what this largely-idolized man thought of her.

And that's when his azure gaze turned to her…

And Ran's heart gave the second loudest "_thump"_ of the day.

"So… how do mine look now?" He smiled warmly, just a bit of shyness noticeable, as he looked deeply into Ran's eyes. Her breathing was close to a halt now, and she could do nothing but stare at the practically onyx-black eyes that were so intensely gazing back at her. Her eyes deliberately moved over his pout-like lips, full in rosy color, and she suddenly had to watch in confusion as those lips became larger and closer in distance. Her eyes widened and brain swiftly clicked into full-speed mode, immediately feeling Shinichi's hand squeeze her cheeks as he made her lips slightly pucker, and he kissed her full on. Ran's heart couldn't be any faster. It wasn't possible. She squeezed her eyes shut and fondled his lips with as much love, force, and need, or whichever new emotion felt the necessity to appear. His male scent was so strong, she felt it enter her lungs to stay there forever; the feeling making her impressively light-headed. His hand, delicately squeezing her cheeks, moved to lightly stroke her jaw; the tender movement making Ran's lips part in a moan, as he took the "open" opportunity to deepen their first kiss. Ran's heart was now on the stroll of a pleasurable tachycardia, a strange feeling tugging in her stomach as the warmness of the masculine tongue, constantly fondled her own. Too many emotions were forming in her every limb; she was no longer aware of her surroundings, and her body was heating intensely. Was this simply the power of Shinichi's kiss? The fervent, and loving, and delicious touch of his once-virgin lips, caressing her own? Maybe his hand on her jaw, or the other hand on her lower back had an influence as well... Whatever it was, it had beaten the coldness of the season, for she felt her entire body beginning to sweat in the middle of November. Were chemicals in her sweat, sending messages to Shinichi's body right now, as he had so proudly stated earlier? Her hand slowly caressed his bangs. His skin was extremely hot as well…

Shinichi put a final bit of pressure on her lips, gradually separating his mouth from hers, as he felt the incontrollable rush of blood swiftly travel to his face. Ran's hot and humid breath was still playing against his cheek, his eyes choosing that moment to flutter open, in an almost drowsy manner. The pretty girl's eyes were still closed, still completely paralyzed, as she attempted to register the events in her mind. He had to grin at the image; a warm and candid smile soon tugging on his lips, as her eyes fluttered open just as dreamily as his had. His eyebrow quirked upward for a moment. He couldn't remember any chemicals causing drowsiness during kissing…

Suddenly the loud ring of a cell phone resounded amidst the silence, making both teenagers give a slight jump in their spots. Shinichi grumbled indistinctly as he reached in his back pocket for the cause of the disturbance, flipping the tiny phone open in the middle of its 3rd ring. "Moshi-moshi, Kudou Shinichi here." His tired gaze which examined his fingernails, quickly turned into one of interest. "Ah, Megure-keibu"

Ran smiled knowingly as she gazed at the pearl-colored glimmer of the river, bringing her legs close to her chest in a tight hug. She was once again beginning to feel the temperature of her surroundings.

"… You said down on Haido Center Bridge? …Two blocks from there; okay. Yeah. I'm actually not too far from there. Alright, I.. I should be there in a short while. 'k, bye." Finished Shinichi quietly, closing his phone to later slip it in his back pocket.

"Do you have to go now?" Asked the girl in a soft manner, looking at her companion with a bit of resignation. "Well, I.. he asked me to, but-"

"It's okay…" She brushed off with a smile, blushing shyly as she moved her gaze to the fresh, green grass. "It's getting dark anyway, and I should be getting home. I don't want 'tousan to worry himself to death."

"Let me take you, then…" Insisted Shinichi with a warm smile, his fingers sweetly brushing a few strands of brown and lonesome hair from her face. Ran's cheeks radiated with color, her lips parting to mutter an "okay…" as she moistened them subconsciously. She fluttered her eyelids to a close, as Shinichi's hot breath mingled with her own; a second later their soft lips meeting, in the fervent and silent promise of a new beginning…

* * *

_Aww, the lovebirds! You've gotta love them… n///n _

_Anyhow, the remark about Hideo-kun falling in a water well… it is based on true facts. n.nU I was over at my friend's house for dinner, not too long ago, and her twin sister suddenly mentioned her best friend falling in a well. And I mean, literally, she said "oh yeah, and Agustina fell in a water well" and didn't say a word afterwards… she even kept putting ketchup on her food! Well, unfortunately when she said this, I was drinking Pepsi and I accidentally sprayed it all over the table in laughter. Thank god I at least wasn't the only one laughing! n///nUUUU _

_Anyway, all of the information above is Factual! Yes yes yes, I learned it all from psychology class and anatomy shows on Discovery channel… xDDD _

_Oh well, I'm off, peoples__! Tons of homework await me! Boohoo… T-T_

_Ja ne! n.n_


	10. Under the Falling Sky

_Number ten!!! n-n  
_

_**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** Under the Falling Sky 

**Summary:** _"After a storm comes fair weather, after sorrow comes joy…" –Russian proverb

* * *

_

The slim figure of a seventeen-year-old young man could be distinguished amidst the semidarkness of his quiet bedroom. The thick shades before his window had been pulled; a few dull, grayish streams of light barely managing to sneakily creep through the barrier, as they dimly illuminated his room, and occasionally himself. The rampant and earth-shattering sound of thunder rattled the windows and ground from time to time, as the everlasting cry of the rain remained unwavering, and unstoppable. Today (just like the entire past week) was turning out to be one gloomy afternoon in the city of Beika, as it helplessly stood under one giant and powerful showerhead.

Well, at least the strong and noisy rain didn't make him feel as lonely in that humongous mansion…

As for the aforementioned young man, – formally known as Kudou Shinichi – he stood concealed from the reporters outside his house, as he struggled to complete the painstaking task of getting dressed. He usually would have made perfect use of his right hand to assist him in the process, but the infamous limb was now completely useless as it lay wrapped in the hard gesso of a cast. He grunted and clenched his teeth in discontentment as he glared at his ineffective arm— the source of his current problems. Sighing in desperation as a few mutters of "serenity now, serenity now" escaped his lips, he decided to slip his right arm through the sleeve of the shirt _before_ any other body part, and once successfully dressing his arm, he slipped the rest of his torso inside the soft cotton t-shirt. Slightly fixing his shirt with his left hand, he looked at his legs to find them concealed behind a dark pair of jeans. Finally— he was done.

The succession of around 5 rings of the doorbell resounded loudly through the entire house, and Shinichi's eyebrow had to suddenly quirk upward. The reporters had rung the doorbell a couple of times before, but never in such a persistent and urgent demeanor. It had to be somebody else. He moved the shades of the window to look at the front of the gates, though a congregation of black umbrellas and television equipment was all he could distinguish. A sigh left his lips, and he turned towards the door to his room, making his way through the corridor and down the long set of wooden stairs. The sound of harsh and pouring rain was becoming even more apparent now, and he had to wonder for a moment, who in the world would make a visit in such a stormy and inconvenient weather. And not to mention, the eager (and pointlessly hopeful, really) reporters that were outside his home. Didn't they have something better to do, than to sadly stand under the tiny shelter of their umbrellas as the rain poured down in sheets around them? Surely, there were more important things in the world than a silly interview with him…

'_Jeez people, I just got home today_— _let me rest…'_ Whined Shinichi with half-moon eyes, putting on his shoes so as not ruin his slippers with water and mud. He slipped his left foot in the shoe, soon feeling laces underneath his sole, and consequently making him remove his foot. He took away the laces. Second try; he slipped the socked foot in the shoe, but as seconds ticked by, he just couldn't get his heel inside. The task of putting on garments was proving to be very difficult, _yet again_, as he noted with a large vein swelling on his temple. His left hand, he decided… was pathetic at doing _anything_.

'_Screw this..!__'_ He declared mentally, kicking his shoe aside as he hid his feet inside his slippers once again. Opening the wooden door, as the wind of the streets swooshed its way inside his home, he blinked a little as the flashes of the cameras photographed his profile. Jogging to the gates as buckets of water seemed to soak his clothes, his eyes widened in shock at the sight of Ran's drenched face, closely pressed against the iron bars.

"Ran…" He muttered lowly, and more to himself than anyone else, as he unlocked the entrance to his house and let her in. The girl trotted to his house, and he locked the entryway once again; smiling apologetically as reporters bombarded him with questions of all sorts. He ran back to his house, shutting the wooden doors behind himself, and leaving the rampant talking and strident rain behind.

Ran's breathing – as he noted – was fast and ragged, as if she'd run in the middle of the storm for a while. Her hair was damp and considerably messy, suggesting she had not enjoyed of the fairly dry protection of an umbrella, as she currently set her absentminded gaze on the set of stairs, some lonesome furniture here and there, even the walls maybe. Her hand was closed into a fist; her thumb sometimes rubbing her other fingers in a quirky and unidentifiable fashion, as she remained in quiet thought. Shinichi didn't know what to do, and was completely clueless on what would occur next. His fingers kept rubbing the gesso of his cast with jumpy strength, which currently showed more emotion than either of the two teenagers in the room. The sound of raucous thunder suddenly shook the ground once again; the luminosity of a nearby chandelier flickering weakly, as the glass windows rattled in pain.

Ran turned around in apparent decision, her hands tensioning into tighter fists as her eyes finally met Shinichi's. His breath seemed to remain trapped in his lungs, to his misfortune, as he saw the most tragic image of his dearest childhood friend. Her eyes were glimmering dangerously, as a thick layer of tears distorted her vision in sadness. Her irises, red contrasting with pure blue, were overflowing with an agglomeration of powerful feelings as they penetrated into Shinichi's orbs. Her cheeks were flushed and wet, as her crimson lips tugged downward and quivered into a heartbroken pout.

"It was a f-fairly good day today, you know… 'tousan was working responsively.. the house was c-clean, and actually _worthy_ of being called a home… I was finally getting over the fact that.. Conan-kun had returned home with his parents.." Her voice trembled from time to time, though remained low, and drowned with emotion. "Yes; on the other hand you hadn't called, and actually never did call, for a month and I can't.. deny that I wasn't worried about you… but it's not the first time that's happened anyway." She laughed cynically, her lips quickly contorting into a doleful smile as she softly sniffed. "It wasn't that bad.. really, everything was okay… Until now, just a few minutes ago, I decide to turn on the television, and what do I see?

"Your picture— your picture, and a woman in front of Beika Central Hospital blabbering about you. To tell you the truth, at first I was ecstatic when I saw you. So many months after nothing but a few calls, and old photos, I finally got to see you; and I was happy, even if all I got from you was a simple picture on a screen. But then I started to hear what the reporter was saying… Something about you entering the emergency room for a bullet-wound in your abdomen, about three to four weeks ago. And then she immediately added what the doctors had said to her previously— that in reality, you hadn't arrived at the hospital in your normal body, but in the body of a six-year-old. Just a small child… and then they said you metamorphosed into your own body right before surgery was begun."

The bittersweet smile returned to her lips, "The remote fell from my hands... I didn't know what to feel. On one hand, there you were on TV.. you were finally back. You had been in the hospital for a month, but you were being released this very day; and the strangest feeling of relief just seemed to wash over me as I realized this. You were safe, fairly healthy, and once again, just _there_… You were there, within my hand's reach again… But on the other hand," she continued with a deeper, more dolorous tone, "there was the fact that my suspicions were confirmed… you really had been a six-year-old, merely minutes before you arrived at the emergency room. You really had been Conan." Shinichi's hair stood on end in pure nervousness and his face swiftly paled like a chameleon's; he could see how Ran's eyes were welling up with an even thicker layer of tears, as she dared not look at his eyes and maintained her gaze on the cold floor. As she remained so still and so broken before him, Shinichi suddenly seemed to see her for the very first time that afternoon…

Her dark and wet hair snaking her face and neck; the small shoulders, trembling from time to time, though whether it was from the drenched clothes or passionate feelings, he could not determine. She looked so young and small at that moment, and as his eyes scanned her frame for the first time that early evening, he could not help the intense flush of blood that decided to pump to his cheeks. Her white t-shirt… was completely drenched and soaked with the rain. The material was practically _clinging_ onto her…

And it was needless to elaborate…

Her torn vocal chords were a heartbreaking wake-up call to reality, though. "I was partially glad that you had been him, to be honest! It meant you hadn't been away… that you weren't off with some strange girl, or away from the country on your own; lonely, and with no one to help you. A great weight was lifted off my shoulders when I came to know that you were _Conan-kun_…" She confessed with the first, heartfelt and candid smile (however small it actually was) of the afternoon. Shinichi nevertheless winced, and internally moaned at her pronunciation of "Conan-kun"; the honey-sweet, cloying manner in which she'd named his miniature self. It made a strange sensation of self-hate form in the pit of his stomach.

"But that same reality meant you had lied to me…" she continued, with the most powerful voice she could muster, which was currently just above a choked and watery whisper. "That despite how many times I suspected and confronted you, you lied to me. You never told me the truth, Shin–" The boy's heart skipped a few beats as Ran's voice came to an unnatural halt; her hand coming up to cover her mouth, as she swallowed roughly and crystal tears fell from her eyes.

She couldn't pronounce his name. It seemed doing so made her break down…

And Shinichi's heart seemed to shatter at this bitter and also sour realization.

The need to not even walk, but run those small meters of distance between them grew to a desperate urgency. Wrap his arms around her to warm her heart, let her cry on his shoulder until her sweet eyes were desert-dry. She seemed so lonely and heartbroken, as she tried to stop her tears from falling to the ground; her figure was merely two meters away from him, tops. And yet why did she seem so far, and unreachable as she gazed at the ground; as if a colossal and apparently unbreakable barrier stood between them, and wouldn't budge any time soon. Was that barrier even existent, though, or were his fears creating a mirage? His fear that she might reject his affection if he were to approach her, simply because he had made her wait for so long. For having lied to her so coldly. He knew her rejection would shatter him into sharp and pointy little pieces, but her, possibly not ever forgiving him? Not loving him any longer, and loathing his very existence?

Merely the consideration of such outcomes was enough to make him ill. Literally ill…

And that's why he continued to press his back against the door; unable to move, or mutter, or even swallow. His head felt woozy, and his cast heavy, and his emotions were starting to swirl in his chest, as he maintained his emotive gaze on the girl before him. He once again felt that strangely keen yet light panic of not _knowing_ what to _do_…

And figured bringing down the organization was _nothing_ compared to this…

"I just would like to know why! Why wouldn't you trust me with what was going on? Why did you keep such a thing from me?!" She finally exploded, sobs choking her words and tears cascading down her cheeks. She had given up the restraint of her emotions, and finally looked into Shinichi's eyes for the first time in that early evening.

"It's not that I didn't trust you! Ran-"

"Don't lie to me!! Haven't you done enough of that?!" She spat back, freezing Shinichi on his ground. "You lived with us all along, never said a word, not even to me! I'm your _friend_, Shinichi!"

"I.. I know-"

"We've known each other since we were _four_! I trusted you! I always shared everything with you! I thought you would do the same."

"Ran.."

"I don't understand! Help me, Shinichi— just what did I do wrong? Was I a bad friend, that you couldn't tell me the truth? And not even now, when I finally know about it all, did I hear it from your own lips. You really made a statement this time, Shinichi! I heard the truth from a reporter. An unknown woman told me what _you_ didn't tell me! I just don't…" Even more tears fell down her cheeks as a hiccup formed in her throat; she looked weak and tired. Completely miserable and heartbroken.

"Why… why would you do that? Why would you do that to me..?" She finished in a whisper, her flaming anger quickly extinguishing into a depressed sorrow as she cried in silence. "I cared about you… I told you all and everything… and you returned the gift with.. n-nothing but lies."

"I did it to protect you." He responded with an awfully serious tone; defending himself for the first time, as his characteristic determination slowly reentered his state of mind.

"Protect me? From what?" She asked as a hand rose to press her forehead; so much crying and yelling had caused her a feverish headache.

"The men who caused my turning into a child… They had initially tried to kill me with a pill, but the drug they administered metamorphosed my body instead. If they knew I was still alive, they would have come to kill me though, as well as anyone who knew about them…" His gaze remained on the ground, his hand subconsciously closing into a tight fist. "I couldn't let you know…"

"I would've kept it a secret, Shinichi, you know that… I would've done my very best to help you."

"And that's exactly why I didn't tell you. You would've put me before yourself; risking your life for me if it were necessary. No, I don't regret anything… You were the last person I wanted involved." He said flatly, his eyes dark with emotion as he gazed back at the girl. "I'm sorry, Ran. But if it meant your safety, I would've lied to you for life."

There was a deathly silence in the room, and the rain suddenly became noticeable to their ears as it continued its pouring motion. The few distant roars of thunder accompanied its symphony from time to time, making the ground quiver in fear. Ran's hand swiftly moved to brush her tears with harshness; her gaze remaining on the cold floor, as her teeth resisted the urge to gnaw her lips in stress. She hated this situation. How she wished to somehow… magically regress, and return to a time where Shinichi and her would laugh and tease their way to school; just joking and having fun. Go back to a moment in their lives, where they were happy, and carefree friends, who enjoyed the beauties and excitements of life; who shared and trusted everything with the other.

Who relied on each other…

A roaring thunder shattered the sky, and rattled the ground with merciless force, as Ran's teeth sunk into the flesh of her lips, and tears cascaded down her cheeks in desperation. An emotional typhoon was still marauding in her body, yet she still attempted to invoke her very last bits of self-control. Her gaze wouldn't dare to move from the ground, fearing her impulsive actions if she saw his expression yet again. His eyes just now had seemed so sad; so pained and matured, as he'd spoken those last words.. there was a sense of resolution, and strength in them as well; and somehow, at the same time, also managed to overflow with tender care, and soft gentleness, and…

No— she wouldn't look at him. She shouldn't... mustn't… _couldn't_!

More than phobic of his finely-structured and oh-so-perfect facial features, she felt more fearful of her own self. Of meeting his eyes, and doing something stupid consequently. Of not being able to restrain her emotions and her actions. Unwillingness to exonerate him from his past "misdeeds," was the safest moderator of her every movement, she decided in a very weak kind of self-assurance.

But even her last bits of confidence quickly crumbled, as she realized the logic behind his actions. He had lied to her to protect… He had kept her ignorant, to keep her foreign of danger…

She winced internally. Was she already, so quickly forgiving him..?

"I'm very sorry, Ran…" continued Shinichi lowly, oblivious of her suddenly racing heart, as he gazed at the ground and hesitantly stepped towards her. "I never meant for this to happen. I didn't want you to cry, and worry about me. I didn't mean to hurt you… I swear to you, Ran, I never did." Was his quiet yet candid oath as he gazed back at her tearful eyes, stepping towards her a bit more. "You deserved the truth, more than anyone else. I.. I actually planned on telling you everything once I'd go by your house, and visit you soon, but.. I guess that doesn't matter now." He smiled sadly, gulping down the knot of distress that had formed with so much tension.

"I did everything to protect you, Ran. I was afraid those men would do something to you… I could never live with myself if anything were to happen to you because of me. I'd rather have you hate me for the rest of my life, and be healthy and safe, than to spend my years visiting your grave, knowing that you were aware of Conan, but were forced to pay the consequences for doing so. Please, Ran, you… you have to understand.. I'd never hurt you purposely, and I'd never want you to cry because of me… but you not knowing, meant your well-being. I lied to you because I c... care and worry f-for you…" He finished this last with blushing cheeks, not having meant to express those final emotions.

"You'll understand, won't you? My reasons for doing all of this..?" Practically begged Shinichi in a very quiet voice; rising his left hand to touch her cheek, but his breath and semi-gulp became stuck in his throat as her hand slapped his away. "Don't..." was her quivering reply, so harshly spoken it caused Shinichi's heart to crack loudly. "Just don't… touch me, Shin–" Her hands sprang to her mouth once again, the pain in articulating his name had returned with full force. Crystal pearls escaped the prison of her tightly shut eyes, and she attempted to blindly move around him to flee the scene. "I-I have to g-go.." she whined mournfully, her heart sinking like a rock as she felt his warm hands around her waist. "Shi… Shinichi, don't... don't do this." But his embrace merely tightened in force. He brought her face to the crook of his neck, and approached the nearest wall, pushing her back against the cold brick and pressing himself tightly against her. She struggled weakly, though whether because she was emotionally and physically tired, or she was simply being considerate of her strength, he wasn't fully sure. But light punches and pushes were being dedicated to his arms and shoulders nonetheless; and Shinichi kept himself resolute, and his insistence remained unwavering. Sadly, she probably hit him five times at most, before breaking out into loud and helpless sobs, earning an even tighter hug from the man as she sank her head on his shoulder. Shinichi swallowed roughly, brushing his cheek against her ear while his left hand kept her firmly pressed against himself. How he hated this situation… No, more like _loathed_ it. Everything about it was wrong— Ran crying, his wounded heart still bleeding from her rejection, his lips not able to part and articulate a word, his casted arm not able to pull her even closer, the rain sobbing loudly, the dim light of the chandelier flickering from the storm…

Okay, maybe the last was irrelevant, but he surely couldn't remember a time where he felt as gloomy and worn as now. With Ran leaning against him, hiccupping tiredly as her hands embraced his neck. With his heart throbbing in the most uncomfortable pain, as he wished for…

_Wait_ a minute— what were Ran's hands doing behind his neck? He could've sworn he had never felt them there…

"I'm sorry.." her watery whisper spoke, muffled against the cotton of his shirt as another shudder broke through her body. Shinichi's left hand caressed the small of her back – a subconscious movement of sorts – as he felt her slowly relax under his arms. He had to admit, the situation was becoming highly pleasing to the senses, but he still had to wonder why she would apologize for anything during this evening? Was it because of her cries, or protests? Jeez, if there was something he was completely sure about, was her undeniable right to explode at him tonight…

The girl slowly pulled back from his embrace, gulping audibly as she dared to look back into his eyes. Her heart soon leapt into a sprint (a common tendency it unfortunately followed whenever he was near), and the shaky sigh that left her mouth could not possibly be stopped, as his tender gaze met hers. With an impressive degree of care, Shinichi's left hand rose to cup her cheek, his mind soon cheering in happiness once he reached the soft skin, and didn't feel a rejecting slap on the course. Instead, she fluttered her eyes into a close, seemingly enjoying the sensation of his thumb against her cheek, brushing her hot tears away. Her cheeks were still lightly flushed, and the strands of wet and dark brown hair clung to her face and neck, resembling the loveliness of a bindweed. The full lips above her chin were red and glossy, slightly parted from crying, and absolutely attractive. Shinichi simply couldn't wait until she reopened her eyes, and slowly bent his head forward, meeting her mouth with his own in a calid gesture of affection. He felt her slightly gasp in surprise, her lips quivering the smallest and most negligible bit, before moving for an equally warm response.

It was wonderfully lovely, to say the least. Their hearts were palpitating like two madmen's, and they both tried their very hardest to control their breathing through the kiss, not make it too ragged nor to slow, as they continued to press their lips with as much tenderness as possible. It was a difficult task, considering they were completely inexperienced kissers, but neither of them complained. The overwhelming sweetness and intimacy of this experience, of caressing each other's mouths in slow and devotional movements, as they remained closer than ever before. It was enough to send them both tingling in balmy pleasure, as they realized they had clearly crossed the line of friendship. Something that they had dreamed, and desired, and craved for so _long_…

The strange taste of salty tears and sweet raindrops mingled between their lips, slipping from one mouth to the other, and teasing them to press, and caress with more fervency. It was a necessity which they simply could not resist, as Shinichi pressed Ran's body further against the wall, and gradually quickened the movement of his mouth. The increasing ardor of the kiss made a shudder run through the girl's spine, though she didn't think, nor dare of making a sign of complaint. On the contrary, she allowed herself to melt against his warm body, as her own muscles became hot butter from ecstasy.

And as Shinichi shyly invited her into his mouth, opening his lips and soon encountering the fantastic feeling of a hot and timid tongue, the sound of a _click_ was heard at his 8 o'clock.

Fluttering his eyes open to gaze at the purveyor of the sound, both Ran and Shinichi's eyes widened in shock, as they met the happy-go-lucky and grocery-holding figure of Kudou Yukiko.

Who had (for practically a nanosecond) mysteriously tucked her hand in her coat. Nah… for no apparent reason whatsoever. Not that Shinichi and Ran, in the midst of embarrassment and an attack of the jitters, had noticed her movement anyway…

Their bodies instinctively separated as if a bee had mischievously stung their butts; their cheeks quickly transforming into brightly crimson neon lights, as a few loud stammers managed to be so eloquently spoken.

"Tadaima, Shin-chan!" Sang the woman in her usual cheerfulness, pretending with wonderful skill as if she'd seen absolutely nothing. Both Shinichi and Ran's mouths hung speechlessly. "I got a few things from the store.. there was absolutely nothing in this house… Oh, and your father is still out; I sent him to buy the medicines your doctor prescribed…"

"Eh… o-okay."

"Ran-chan! It is so wonderful to see you, you've grown so much!" Exclaimed the woman giddily, setting the paper bag on the ground to hug the teenager tightly, and later examining her with a toothy smile. Her expression soon turned into one of surprise though. "Oh my! Did you get caught in the storm, Ran?" The girl followed her gaze with blushing cheeks, as she noticed it lead to her chest. "Your clothes are soaked!" And indeed, her white shirt gave a wonderful display of its contents… Her arms jerked to cover herself, blood rushing to her cheeks with amazing speed as she gazed at the ground. _'Earth, swallow me whole…'_

"Gosh, you must be freezing in that— Oh wait, I got it! How about you take a nice, hot shower upstairs? Shin-chan can let you borrow some dry clothes once you're done, and then you can stay over for dinner!"

"What?!" Exclaimed the twosome in disconcert, their cheeks glowing at the concept of dining together after…all of _that_.

"C'mon Shinichi, take her to your room and you both pick some nice clothes. I'll be out in the kitchen, preparing dinner." She said with a wide smile, pushing the two madly blushing teenagers towards the set of stairs. Shinichi directed a secretive glare to his mom, soon gaping in bewilderment as he saw the mischievous grin on her lips. "Off you go..!" She mouthed with a playful wave of her hand, baring her white teeth in the largest, most gleeful smile she had dedicated in a _long_ time. It was hard not to convulse in a loud fit of laughter, as she saw the awestruck expression of her dear son, stumbling a little on his way to the bedroom, as Ran silently accompanied him, clearly within the depths of the oh-so-sweet lala land.

The two disappeared once they reached the second floor of the Kudou mansion, and the woman chose that moment to casually slip her hand inside the right pocket of her topcoat. Pulling out a rectangular machine of silvery plastic, her index finger pressed a button which soon lit into bright green; the once-black screen before her, automatically gaining luminescence, and illustrating the recently-taken picture as her eyes glimmered with pure glee. Her grin merely widened in the company of a soft blush.

"Yukiko.. what are you doing just standing there?" Asked a man with a quirked eyebrow, just having arrived from the pouring streets, and holding a small paper bag in his hands.

"Oh, Yuusaku! You got Shin-chan's things— I'm glad!" She said with an awfully palpable cheerfulness, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him hello, as she took the bag from his hands.

The writer looked at her with a strong air of amusement, "Whatever happened to you..? Not even _you_, my dear, are this happy…"

"Oh, shut up.." she retorted with a small grin, "Oh hey, are you busy this afternoon, by any chance?" She quickly asked, though remaining silent as she waited for his response.

"Umm... no, I don't think so. Why? Do you have something in mind?" Asked the man with genuine curiosity, noticing his wife's gaze turn to the still brightly-shining camera. She soon looked back at him, giddiness widely visible in both her blue eyes and toothy smile as she shrugged in a useless attempt to brush off her excitement. "No reason… just thought of going frame-shopping…"

* * *

_**A/N:**_

_Oh wow! Isn't this neat? It's been horribly dry here for the past few months, and just when I write this story, it starts pouring madly outside!! Heck, that's just Got to be the power of witchcraft… xDDD  
Oh gosh, I better stop saying stupidities and further ruining my reputation.. xD  
And I have (yes, still) not a lot, but __tons__ of homework… I have to read Great Expectations in two days!! That book! Yes, with that annoying little girl, that I just feel like strangling because, damn her, she's just so darn mean, and she hurts my poor Pip, and I swear, when I get my hands on her_— 

_:-::Sigh::-:… Okay. That's it. Rani's suffering from dementia. No help for her now… xD_

_Anyways, I'm off! Yet again.__. UU¬¬  
Please let me know, darlings, of what you thought of this story!! n.n I'd love to get feedback from you! _

'_til nesht time..! ;D_


	11. A Troubled Ran's Account

_**  
Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n

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**_

**Title:** A Troubled Ran's Account

**Summary:** _Problems were still existent, even after the dismantlement of the organization.

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_

I cannot remember the exact moment when it all began. It could've been that winter-day in January, when Shinichi and I had gone to Tropical Land. Perhaps when Conan-kun arrived, or when newspapers poured in with the fall of a strange syndicate, or maybe when Conan had left and Shinichi finally returned. Somewhere along those dates (which extend for a period of five months), did a page in my life seem to turn. Days, from once having been dull, and long, and interminable, transformed into a hectic time of 24 hours, in which I had no idea of what could occur, nor how the evening would close down upon me. If my thoughts had consumed me once, did they, along with my feelings, ever begin to devour me from day to night.

I preferably liked to cast the blame on Shinchi's renewed presence, and with far good motive too! But I will not force you into any opinions, though merely allow you to make your own conclusions. And for this to happen, I must conclude the first part of my introduction, and move on to the strange days that succeeded Shinichi's return. Part of them are my continued introduction; the last is my story.

In the month of June, Shinichi had returned during the last minutes of twilight (to my home, that is), and had somehow managed to wake me up through screaming from the apartment's door. How he managed, I've no clue, for once a pick-up truck crashed below our house, caused a mini-earthquake on our building, and my dream had never stopped a bit. But anyway, I had woken up and opened the door for him, and I gasped and almost cried from seeing him. His face was covered in sweat and dirt, a few specks of blood mixed in as well, and his clothes were ragged. He was tired and as worn as his garments, but he still had the most beautiful smile I could ever remember, and I still remember the sweetness of it today; how it had given me pretty butterflies in my stomach then, and continues to make me flutter now. I let him in, and I attended him a little despite his light protests. It was merely a moist towel to rid his face of the dirt though, and a large glass of water for him to drink. I stood watching him while he drank, and his eyes closed tiredly as he emptied the glass, and thanked me before laying it on a nearby table.

I asked him if he wanted to rest after commenting that he looked tired, but he refused and was so determined with his decision, that I didn't persist. Almost immediately, he slowly began to recount what had just occurred to him. That he was involved in a case which involved the CIA and FBI, that the objective was a criminal organization's fall, that he'd been involved in capturing them ever since. He even went to the lengths of describing the biographies of this syndicate's main members, and even the roots of this strange organization, which had begun in the island of Kyushu with an international alliance to the United States, and he went on. It's needless to say that he included the names of his "co-workers," the assistance of friends (including the top scientist once member of such organization), and the motives behind his involvement in such a top-rate case. This last left me wide-eyed, since he explained it all had started on that day I so repudiated, for it being my last to really be with him. He had been knocked and poisoned, left to die in the corners of an alley, though nearly miraculously, he had managed to survive. Though in the body of a child instead of his own.

He had stopped a bit to allow the information to sink in me, and later continued in explaining all that he had done as Conan. I could just listen, but not speak, and shivered at the many misfortunes that he had endured for so long. I could not imagine, not even after having him tell me so clearly what had happened, I could never imagine the solitude that he underwent. If I felt like crying before, I felt like sobbing then, but I opted to listen attentively to his words and experiences. He seemed to need it, to speak out what had been locked as a tight secret before, and he was genuinely relieved to let me know. I was happy as well, once he had finished that segment of his tale, that (though I didn't really do anything) I'd helped to relieve his stress, just by being there for him then. It was reassuring to know that he still confided in me, even after so long of not directly speaking to each other.

I was thoroughly pleased and joyful of his return, as well as his candid opening of Pandora's box, though as minutes ticked by, I could not help the tinge of discontentment that was growing inside of me. It was a mixture of light anger, and fear, and hurt.

Because yes, it was true he was confessing right now. When everything was done and over with. But I thought I knew then, with growing and slowly burning anger, that when push came to shove, Shinichi did not trust me. In the moment of truth, when he really _was_ Conan, and he really _was_ fighting this syndicate, he had preferred not to tell me anything, because he didn't think I could share a secret with him, or that I wasn't capable of being helpful. I cannot even begin to describe how indignant, and insulted, and mistrusted, and heartbroken I felt at that moment, because I _knew_, without a shadow of doubt, that I could have been helpful! I knew I would've walked to the ends of the world for him, and gone through hell and back if he wished me to. Just didn't he know how I favored him?

Didn't he know how I _loved_ him?

And that's when my heart froze. Yes—he did know I loved him. He knew better than anyone else in the world, that I loved him madly, because _I_, stupid idiot that I was, told him myself.

And so we stood there, a meter merely between us, and I felt my tears boiling and burning like acid in my eyes. He had lied to me for months, he hadn't gifted me with his trust, he didn't see me as a real friend, he didn't even see me as something else. He just talked about how Heiji had helped him so much (and God knows how I love Hattori-kun, and please forgive me), but I really did not want to hear about him, nor any of the FBI, nor the police. Maybe I was being selfish (actually, I was definitely being selfish), but I wanted to hear a response. I had confessed that I loved him, but… did he love _me_?

And maybe he forgot, in the spur of the moment, or in his tiredness, or in between his life-changing experiences, to tell me about his emotions. To really tell me his feelings, and his thoughts, and I just stood there. Wanting to cry. Because I waited for what seemed to me to be centuries' worth of pain (it had actually been two minutes or three), waited for any signal and received none. He smiled tiredly and just talked.

And for the first time in my life, I didn't want to hear.

My heart was too broken to act reasonably; I felt far too hurt. At that moment, it seemed everything was going amiss too, because instead of hearing him speak he loved me, he talked about how much Ai-chan had helped, and been so brave. He spoke very candidly, and was very easy-going on the matter; there was no reason for me to be upset, but at that moment, when I felt so overwhelmed, even the innocent mentioning of a female friend was enough to shatter the boiling-mad pieces of my heart. Even those shards of feelings, after undergoing their destruction, seemed to experience pangs of pain and freezing cold, from the utter hurt that I was feeling. I can't say I was even jealous of hearing him speak of her. No way, I had already passed that stage, and just felt heartbroken beyond belief.

I had to wonder, did he even know what was happening inside of me?

No—not a way he did, nor ever would. Not on his own, at least.

And in the midst of distress, and anger, and hurt, and displeasure of my own imagination, and my own feelings, I committed a very unfair and unfortunate act. I took decisions upon my thoughts and feelings, and not the _facts_. Truth be told, I was far more hurt than angry, or anything else for that matter, simply because Shinichi had not trusted me, and if he didn't, nor of course, would he ever love me. This hypothesis, naturally, didn't cheer me up one bit; but more like sank me within the muddy rivers of despair. It's almost comical, how my ultimate hopes of romance for us were destroyed in just a few, miserly minutes.

"Strange, how the human mind works," he always says.

But no—we were both living that nightmare, we were both losing each other. It wasn't funny at all. To say, that at that moment I felt ill, and completely heartbroken, as well as rejected...

It was a pretty big understatement.

"Ran, are you okay?—Are, are you crying?" He had asked with worry, and suddenly standing up from the couch. I told him I was fine, and brushed the sleeve of my pajamas on my eyes, as I turned my back to him. "Ran, what's wrong?" He asked again, but what I considered to be his cluelessness, broke my heart even more. Didn't he have any vague idea? "I told you, I'm fine!" And I turned to him; though I could not speak my most crucial fears. Not yet. "But you tell me now, Shinichi, how come some girl whom you've known for a couple of months, suddenly gets more trust than I ever will?"

"What?" He gaped at me in astonishment.

"You know what I said! You've known Ai-chan for what? Four months? And I've known you for almost my entire life, and yet I'm the last one on the planet to ever find out the truth!"

"Ran! Ran, I didn't tell you anything because I wanted to prote-"

"No, Shinichi!" But I wasn't willing to listen. "Months passed by, and you kept everything from me! You and her! I bet you must've had pretty good laughs at watching me worry so much over you!"

"That's not true!"

"I want you to leave." I told him as bluntly as I could, but I could almost hear the remaining shards of my heart, shatter even further from speaking like that to him. To _him_! "If she's so much better than I am, why don't you just go to her, Shinichi." And then I opened wide the door and stared at the ground, though in reality, I just didn't want him to see my tears. I discerned him stand there, not saying a word but just remaining static in his place, and after what seemed to be a slow and heart-wrenching eternity, he languidly walked past me and out the open door. I looked at him (more like squinted through the hot tears), and saw him gazing at me almost speechlessly.

"R-Ran, I swear... I never-"

"I-I just need time to think," I tried to whisper back, but my voice broke in my attempt to talk. I began to close the door and saw that he wasn't willing to walk down the stairs, but just stood there, looking at me sadly. I closed the door despite the fact I felt like hugging the life out of him, both for my pleasure and to rid him of that terrible expression. The door thudded cruelly, and I shut my eyes tightly, rubbing the bridge of my nose to stop the horrible tears that were rolling down my cheeks by now. My throat felt boiling hot, and tight, and I felt awfully guilty.

'_I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have done that, Kami, what's wrong with me?'_ I kept telling myself then, clasping my mouth to prevent any sobs from waking my dad up. But that was when I heard a soft "Good night…" through the other side of the door, sad yet sweet, and my eyes widened as tears streamed uncontrollably, and the sound of his steps began to resound down the long stairs. I remained with my back against the door, incapable of movement, wide-eyed and crying, though my shards palpitated madly from anticipating my legs in running down to embrace Shinichi in the warmest and most heartfelt apology. I felt my ribs would fracture from the excitement of my heart, my brain was even in agreement and screamed for me to run down, but seconds went by, and my legs remained petrified; Shinichi's steps were now very distant, and before I knew it, he had left. My opportunity was far too gone.

This succession of unfortunate events concludes my long and sour introduction. It can be said without a tinge of exaggeration that the aforementioned occurrences made a turning point in my life, though now I must proceed to the actual event which changed things even more for me, if possible.

And certainly, I soon found it _was_ possible.

For the several days succeeding our memorable reunion, I quickly determined they were the most difficult 24-hour sets of my life. I saw Shinichi every day, if not in school, then on television. If I went to the market to buy some food, the salesclerk would say "Ran-chan! I heard about your boyfriend!", or if I picked up a newspaper, his picture would be in the front page. His face was _everywhere_, and it haunted me and my dreams, which were filled with a strange mixture of that night's sadness, and the lovesick thoughts of an adolescent… well, lovesick girl. I missed him so much; I missed both Conan and him so much, their sudden disappearance from my life was nearly traumatic. The house became so quiet, my responsibilities practically vanished, not even cases emerged to distract me (go figure!). Even 'tousan seemed a bit depressed at times, though Shinichi's face on the papers brought his inner devil to life, and he went on a rampage at the sight of him almost instantly. I was so desperate not to think of Shinichi at the time, that even 'tousan's tantrums and mad declarations of fury were a nice replacement to my worried thoughts. But those distractions didn't last long, for after all, 'tousan was in fact screaming not about anyone, but about _him_. And when I'd remember this small detail, my whole trail of thoughts returned to that sweet and intelligent detective, and I was back to Square One.

School was certainly the worst though. I can't remember a time where I dribbled so many eyes on my class notes, with all kinds of eyelashes, colors, and shapes too. I read not too long ago that dribbling eyes signified you felt observed; and if maybe you're wondering, I can tell you that at the time, _Heck yes_ I felt observed. _Walking_ to school was already bad enough, with people, both students and teachers, taking interested glances at me during the whole track. Through my short walks in the hallways, almost all of my classmates sang happily "your husband's back, Mouri-chan!" and "you're _sooo_ lucky, Ran-chan. _Sooo_ lucky." It was enough to drive me mad. And not to mention, what happened quotidianly within the class, with Shinichi actually in there. From getting whistles, to blowing kisses, to glares from fan girls, I merely continued my mad dribbles of eyes on every single note, homework assignment, test, and quiz. I think I got several complaints from my teachers that week…

But I cannot exaggerate the facts, for there were positive things during that time as well. Strangely enough, the purveyor of these good occurrences was Shinichi himself. At the time though, I hadn't been what you could describe as "particularly pleased" by what he did, and felt awfully uncomfortable about it all. In a way, he contributed to my hundred dribbles of eyes, not that that would faze him anyway.

I felt his gaze. His attention. Every movement of his body was dedicated to approach me. I could feel it, either on the back of my head, or in my writhing hands, or my throbbing chest, even in the air of the classroom. His eyes were always on the back of my head, and I could shiver for hours from just thinking about it. I dared not to look though (how could I?), and tried my hardest to pretend reading my English text, or Calculus notes, or whatever was in my hands, and keep my gaze _away _from him.  
He followed me around school as well. There wasn't even a need for me to take notice of it; there was always a friend who spotted him right away, and ran to me just to say "Kudou-kun's been following you, Ran-chan! Why don't you go kiss him hello?" or "Hot stuff around you, Mouri-san, move it or lose it." The latter was mostly from… hm, well, very amiable fan girls.

And though when I felt Shinichi casually following me, or his eyes on my back almost constantly, I always hurried my pace, or distracted my gaze, but never, _ever _could I help the small smile of happiness that formed on my lips. Never would I admit it, not publicly at least, but his pursuit was very pleasing, and highly reassuring. After everything that I had said, and all that we both had gone through, he still searched for my company, and my friendship. He was extremely persistent and determined, and coming from a man like him, who was usually so proud and arrogant, to subside to a heedful and patient person… such a feat was almost a miracle. The fact that he voluntarily did it for me, out of all people, was more than enough to make me blush for hours. But not yet was I willing to approach him, for I was still painfully sore in fear that he may not love me, or have ever loved me. Not even once. This idea became my single worst fear, and such a large and overwhelming problem did it become for me, that I was soon in a horribly large denial of its actual existence, and simply refused to pay attention to it. I didn't want to think about Shinichi not feeling anything for me; I didn't want to believe that this fear of mine even existed; I refused (at least for now) to grab life by the horns and deal with this problem bravely; and it was completely out of the question to even consider asking him of his feelings for me.

So I took the easy and temporary way out, and paid him no mind nor attention (not openly, at least, for my heart still kept that pleasant throb every time he was around), and I continued with my business as best as I humanly could.

It had already been two weeks since Shinichi's nocturnal visit, when our school's karate tournament came in progress, and was actually very well drawing to a close. It was getting dark, and the stadium's reflectors were brightly shining over the blue mats, where all of the fights took place. There was only one match left, which would determine if Teitan or Tokyo High School should win, and it involved me against Tokyo's captain of the karate team, Takahashi Akira. It was unfortunate that my mind was so involved with Shinichi's face, otherwise I could have concentrated with more professionalism in the tournament. Before I knew it, the bell had chimed, and the loudspeaker announced this as the beginning of the last round, and Takahashi frowned in concentration. My thoughts of Shinichi's words, and pretty eyes returned as persistently as he'd followed me around, and I could almost not see my opponent.

I don't know what happened. But despite my little drawback, in between one of Shinichi's smirks, and one of his laughs, I planted my foot on Takahashi-san's stomach, and he pretty well flew across the mats onto the ground. I looked at him groaning on that blue fabric with _huge_ eyes, since I had almost no clue on what had happened before that kick, but the next thing I knew, the loudspeakers announced my name as a victorious one, and a gilded trophy was shoved in my arms.

I had won, and Shinichi's azure eyes were all I could recall.

Blood had rushed pretty quickly to my cheeks, as the stentorian cheers of the crowds resounded all around the stadium. Smiles and appraisals surrounded me, almost overwhelmingly, and I directed my happy gaze to see my friends among the multitude of students seated on the benches. All of them waved, and sang, and a couple danced for my pleasure, but a strange feeling enveloped me when I didn't see Shinichi with them. I scanned the crowds (and large crowds they were, though I knew where to look for him), but surely, he wasn't sitting where he'd usually be. I looked around me, though only saw my teammates and teachers, and I looked all around the stadium, but his figure was nowhere to be found.

It was worrying. Shinichi never missed my karate tournaments. _Never_. I remembered that he'd taken a couple of peaks during our practices for the past days, and that made it all the more confusing. If he watched me practice, why should he not assist at something much greater, like the actual tournament? It didn't make any sense.

I refused, most hard-headedly, to believe that he'd finally given up on me. The idea would shatter for the umpteenth time, the poor organ beneath my ribs that I had somehow managed to tape together during these last weeks. And very poorly taped that it was. I had to make sure that no potentially threatening thoughts or feelings, entered my unreliable mind, or they would probably destroy the weak tape that maintained my heart from collapsing, and would cause the final demolition of that poor little organ. I had to be careful; I wasn't allowed to even think anything bad. So considering that Shinichi did not care for me anymore, was completely and downright taboo.

I continued to look around me with a faint hope of seeing him, and as I did, just for a tiny moment, a mere nanosecond, I lowered my guard and let any ideas roam freely. And that was all the time that I needed. Almost instantly, a thought sharply pierced through my mind, and indeed, the weak tape on my heart finally gave way with a snap.

_What if he left?_

_What if this time, Shinichi had gone away for good, and was never to return again?_

The little shards of throbbing heart, were practically boiling in anguish by now. My chest panged, and burned, and sank, and wrung in the purest and keenest fear that I'd ever felt in my life. I was nearly hyperventilating; my breathing was quick and ragged, and I could not control it, no matter how hard I tried, or how much concentration I invoked at that time. The trophy became too heavy in my hands, and I shoved it to a teammate next to me, never looking at anyone, as the acidity of my tears returned once again. The compression of the muscles in my throat was revived, and I could feel it tighten with panic at the notion that Shinichi had left me. But now, I began to realize that this was not a notion anymore.

I genuinely believed it.

And when you stop fearing something, and begin to assure yourself of that truth, panic and fear really do seem to abandon your state of mind. There's a small moment where you calm down. And then everything, is all quickly replaced with adrenaline, and a rush of action. And that is exactly what happened to me.

If Shinichi would leave, then I, without a shadow of doubt, and with my teeth clenched and fists tightened, was going to try my very best to stop him.

"Ran! That was amazing! You really smashed that Takahashi to pieces!"

"I'm sorry Sonoko, but I have to leave!" I interrupted her, my sentence coming out like a bit of an ultimatum, as I began to run and turned to glance at her and Eisuke-kun. "Don't wait for me!"

And I turned forward once again, running as fast as I possibly could, despite the fact I heard a strident "Ran! Where are you going?!" I dodged past numerous people, rushed past the school gates, and made a run for my life (because in many ways, it indeed was for my life) down the partially-deserted streets. There weren't many people walking at that particular hour of twilight, which was the grandest relief to my mind, as with my heart racing and I heaving violently, I sprinted my way to Shinichi's house. My legs moved with a swiftness I had never experienced before, and really, they moved with almost an artificial speed. But this wasn't a disappointment, and more of a pleasurable surprise, for I wanted to get there fast, and quickly I sure was going to arrive.

There was only one block left, when I heard a few ragged moans behind me, and my eyebrows raised when I glanced back to see a running Sonoko and Eisuke some several meters behind me. I didn't _ever_ stop, as I said before though, and continued to gallop the last few meters that remained. Shinichi's house and black gate was already rushing past me, and I just needed to arrive at the main entrance.

I was there before I knew it, and I slipped my hand through the iron bars, and lifted the heavy handle to allow myself inside. Running shortly to the door, I fumbled with the doormat below me and I tried to grasp the hidden key. As I did this, I heard Sonoko moaning "My spleen..! M-my spleen, I think it ruptured!" later followed by "God..! NO..! I don't wanna die like this!" If my hands and nerves weren't so jittery, and if I hadn't been so preoccupied, I would've probably laughed at my friend's exaggerated gasps; but the skeleton key in my hand unlocked the door, and I soon forgot all about it.

Swinging my shoes before stepping on the wooden floors, I ran through the nearest rooms and scanned them; first through the dining room, then the kitchen, later followed by the living room, and (as the idea occurred to me) through the study. I stopped at this last, and was gasping for air as I looked around me, thousands of novels and files staring back at me, and to my dismay, no Shinichi. I inclined my head, and supported my arms on my knees, as I tried to think where he could be, while realizing that I had little time left. Soon after, I took a deep breath and started my way out of the study, running as quickly as I'd done before, through the living room, then the kitchen, and then the dining room, finally arriving at the vestibule where two worn and gasping friends stood, and I continued on my way up to the second floor of the house, skipping the wooden steps by two's. I reached the second floor, and turned sharply to the second door on my left, where I knew Shinichi's bedroom to be. Striding towards it, I swung and burst right through the door.

Oh, how sweet the feeling was, of that first calid wave of relief and happiness that enveloped me so protectively, and which unfortunately, I had not experienced for such a horribly long time. Relief soothed and warmed my chest, and I raised my hand to press it in gratitude. I had not felt so grateful and joyful in such a seemingly long time, that I could feel the tears of glee in my eyes, wanting to roll down my cheeks.

He was sleeping soundly yet silently on his double-bed, fully dressed in his school uniform and lying on top of the sheets and quilt. His head was turned towards the window, which was open and was admitting a stream of light reddish sunlight into the room, glazing its walls in a warm and rosy haze. It was all very pretty, and all the more handsome with him in there. As I looked at his figure from afar, I could not prevent the natural curiosity that grew within my chest, from seeing him sleeping so peacefully, so beautifully, and being so reachable to my grasp.

It was far too much to bear; and I excused my thoughts, saying to myself that I was just going to take a closer peak at him. Besides, it was reasonable! I hadn't seen him (_really_ seen him) in a very long time…

So! I gulped down any doubt or nervousness that might have been roaming in my throat, and I gambled my luck of not getting caught, as I inched closer to him. Every step that I took seemed to take an eternity, and every board of wood beneath my feet, seemed to scream and creak in accusations of "Look at her! She's getting close, Shinichi, Wake Up!" or "How dare she approach him? Somebody, hurry, come get this peeping fan girl!" But despite these little inconveniences, I eventually reached the head of the bed, and Shinichi continued to sleep. I could see his long fingers twitch between his dreams, and his red lips quiver the smallest, most slightest bit from time to time. His brown bangs, curled at the ends, fell to his eyes and bridge of his nose, as his long and dark eyelashes danced slowly in sleep. I could already feel myself heating up from the sight, for he looked so innocent yet so attractive, it was almost as if he were taunting me, and daring me on what I'd do. But I opted for gulping, and tightening my fists in something similar to restraint, as I continued to observe him.

I noted that his cheekbones had increased in thickness, far more than before his Conan-days, and his shoulders had become considerably broader. There was something in his countenance, or his posture, or the air about him that seemed of a more mature age. I couldn't say exactly what it was, but it made me blush again, and gulp again, and sweat all over again. I noticed that his eyebrows were drawn to a soft frown though, and his eyes seemed to dart beneath his eyelids. There was a soft flush on his cheeks, which had already made me fear, in combination to the previous factors, that he might be feeling ill; and indeed, I confirmed my suspicions when I heard his soft breathing, low and short, leaving his lips in frail and short puffs. I touched his forehead very lightly, careful not to wake him, and felt the skin slightly hotter than usual, though it was almost negligible. I decided to look at the rest of his body to check if everything was okay, when to my misfortune, Sonoko appeared at the doorway.

"Oh.. ohohoho..! _Noooo_ need to worry, I was _just_ leaving!"

"S-Sonoko! Wait! Hold on! It's not what you think–!"

"Mm, _I don't know about that, Ran_! I mean, was it me, or did I see a pair of hungry eyes looking up and down our detective's legs, eh?" She said with a mile-wide smirk, tauntingly for sure, and rising her eyebrows suggestively. I don't think I shall ever remember a time where my cheeks felt so volcanically hot.

"Ran-san.. you look awfully red!" Said Eisuke with wide eyes, just as he'd appeared at the doorway.

"It's alright—she's just been enjoying a little.. _manly physique.._!"

"SONOKO!" I screamed, my heart racing and cheeks boiling in embarrassment, just as I heard a low grunt below me, and all of us turned to look. Shinichi was beginning to move, and mutter, and groan after being awoken by the commotion, and he stretched his limbs very tiredly in an attempt to wake up. His eyes slowly opened after a few seconds, and he met my gaze before anyone's, whispering my name after a few short seconds, in the most affectionate voice I'd ever heard from him.

(You can imagine my cheeks by now.)

Suddenly, he seemed to become aware of the growing darkness outside his window though, and his eyes widened considerably. "It's dark…" And then he gasped. "Oh no! The tournament!"

"It already ended…" I told him softly, and noticing how his expression instantly turned into one of disappointment. He was still breathing a bit tiredly, and I couldn't stop my mouth from asking.

"A-are you okay..? You look a bit sick…"

"Yeah—I just have something of a cold… people think it's stress, but what do I know?" He laughed languidly, hanging his head on his shoulder from its excessive weight. And he sniffed slightly, "I should be okay though…" and then his eyes lit up for the first time that evening, "But the tournament, Ran, did you win?"

"Y-yes…" I blushed shyly at his interest, though soon became a bit saddened as I considered that his feelings for me were most likely friendly.

He moved to sit a bit more comfortably on the bed, and a small smile soon formed on his lips. "So… Are you speaking to me again?" He asked quietly and with intensely palpable hope, as he gave me an awfully tender gaze. The breath for my response remained tightly trapped in my throat, not that if it had arrived in my mouth, would I had been able to formulate an eloquent reply anyway... His question took me completely by surprise, and I directed my gaze to the ground, or to the side, evading his eyes as heat rose to my face, and I stammered something along the lines "I guess so."

I heard the rustling of sheets and cloth before I saw him stand before me, approaching me with his characteristic determination, as he became more serious by the second. "Ran—you do know that I've never enjoyed these last months, filled with lies and constant secrets, do you..?"

"Sh-Shinichi.." I didn't know what else to say.

"What you said a few weeks ago, it.. I kept thinking about it, over and over again, just everywhere I went. Because it was just horrifying that you'd think I had fun at your expense.

"I have _never_ taken pleasure in watching you worry day and night, and cry because of me… I-I want you to know that Ran, I want you to be sure of it. I hated to see you cry, and to see you sad, and because of _me_, out of all people! I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating that was… But that's why I tried to find them, because their arrest would mean the end of your sadness, and also mine. And only then, could I finally be able to make things better…" His voice lowered into a thick tune of emotion as he gazed at the ground, and it indeed left me speechless for several moments.

"But—Shinichi, I.. I don't understand. If you wanted me to stop being sad, then you could've let me know you were Conan. I can assure you that I wouldn't have been half as saddened, or worried as I normally was, had I known the truth."

"I know. I know you would had been happier if you knew."

"So why did you keep such a thing from me? I would've been happier, you knew I would've been happier, and you yourself would have probably been more relieved, so why in the world did you still lie? Do you see my point, Shinichi? Do you see that it just.. doesn't make any sense?"

"Yes, I.. I completely understand your perspective, Ran. It's just that… I wasn't allowed to tell you at the time." He responded, still with his very low voice. It was almost impossible to detect any exact emotion in his eyes, for they held far too many.

"By whom?"

"Everyone… everyone who knew about my situation, agreed that it was best not to tell you anything. And that's because the syndicate is composed of a very dangerous group of people. They would kill anyone who knew about them; I myself was in danger of being killed by them."

"But..! Oh god, Shinichi, that makes it all the less reasonable for you to not tell me..! If other people were in danger, if _you_ were in danger! T-then why..!" My skin was beginning to burn with distress, "Why couldn't I share the threat as well? Why did I have to be kept in the dark, while everyone knew, and while everyone suffered equally? If being your friend, at that moment, signified my danger of dying, then I would've taken that danger with open hands, Shinichi! Why couldn't _I_ also suffer the consequences?"

"What are you, crazy? Did you want to die, Ran?!"

"If it meant your trust, then I would had been willing!!" And then he shut my mouth with his hand, and firmly pressed his palm against me. And I could just stare, with wide eyes, as he penetrated me with his grave gaze. "Don't ever say that.. ever!" He whispered emphatically, and looking at me as if I'd cruelly shattered something inside of him. "This is not a matter of trust," he murmured, almost secretly, as his hand remained on my mouth, "When it comes to trust, I'd leave my life on your hands, Ran. So you can see, that none of the lies I told you were because I didn't confide in you…" A weight seemed to lift right off my chest, far more than my shoulders, and was probably the reason why my heart began to flutter. "I didn't tell you anything because I was afraid they'd kill you. If you knew about me, about Conan, they would have targeted you right away… I knew you were sad, and I knew that you'd want me to tell you, but I just _couldn't _risk your life. I wasn't willing to do it. I didn't want to lose you, Ran. Not forever, not permanently…" His cheeks slowly gained a very pretty rosy color. "I didn't want to lose you…" He said with sadness, and even lower than a whisper, as he gradually distanced his head from mine, and pulled his warm fingers from my mouth.

I was completely awestruck, and shocked, and thunderstruck, and astonished, and dumbfounded, and just so many more things as I looked at him with wide wonder. It was amazing how his words inspired such an incredible amount of blood to just rush to my cheeks, and tint them like a red rose, so quickly and so efficiently. It was almost scary to think that after so long he still possessed such a strong power over me…

But then, he continued, "The fact that I couldn't, nor was I willing to tell you the truth, does not signify that I don't feel guilty, or responsible about what you went through, Ran. You shouldn't have had to spend months worrying, or crying because of a stupid friend for so long. That should have never happened.

"You didn't deserve to be hurt, and wronged as much as I wronged you. And I know that what I caused was completely unjust. But the purpose behind these words, is to let you know that I am willing to give my everything to make it up to you. I know that I caused so many tears from your eyes, and I wounded your heart many times, but I.. I-I really do want to leave that in the past... I want to move on to something better, and much greater, and longer-lasting… If.. if you'd let me, Ran," his eyes had gained a powerful glimmer, and a pleasant blush covered his cheeks, "if you'd let me rid you of that sadness, absolutely any bit of it that's left.." my heart began to quicken, and soon raced fast… so very, very fast, "and you'd allow me to replace that hurt, with so many wonderful things that I can be sure to solely give to you," he approached me even more, and slowly ran his hands to my shoulders and neck, "I swear, I shall spend my entire life making you happy, and I can assure you that I'll achieve it. But.." his eyes begged me to comply, "I need a chance, Ran. A chance to change both your life and mine, and god, I know that I shall be euphoric for the rest of my life if you allow me the pleasure of being with you. It's been my dream for so long… has.. h-has it been yours?"

I felt like crying, "Yes."

"Ran…" he whispered lowly as he stroked my neck and clavicles, "I have loved you for so long…" and he then brushed his cheek against mine, burning my skin with his soft touch. "Long before I had turned into Conan... even back then, I already knew you were perfect for me. I remember I used to wish will all my heart that we could be together.. that I could just stay with you for the rest of time…" his lips moved to touch my cheek, caressing me so very lightly, as his breath burned like real fire.. "And I still wish to spend my life with you. Now more than ever. I'm tired of waiting, Ran, I'm tired of us being apart for so much longer than what was ever necessary… Let me be with you forever…"

I have no idea how, nor with what strength or oxygen, but I somehow managed to whimper a "Yes" as I clutched his jacket very tightly. My heart was undergoing a tachycardia as I felt his lips press against both of my cheeks, and his hot breath play across my mouth so many times. All the while, I remember he blushed madly, and panted very quietly in sickness, yet he was still a gentleman, and kept his hands on my hips very carefully (or perhaps shyly, or maybe both, I could not entirely tell). But it was then when he pulled me in, and I closed my eyes, and I instinctively held my breath. I faintly noticed a soft gasp and a hush from afar, when for the very first time in my life, after having waited for so long, and after enduring so many conflicts and struggles, I encountered the incredible sensation of Shinichi's lips against mine.

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_  
Jeez, this turned out to be waaaaay longer than what I had _ever _expected._ _Oopsies. xD Now I know that it seems to be a bit cut short at the end, but there's a fairly good reason for that. I have decided to save my innumerable and sensuous descriptions of sensations, touch, kisses and caresses, and far more, right into my head and keep them safely locked in my mental storage room. Why, you may ask? Well, let's just say I'm saving them for something juicier later... Need not to worry. (xD) I shall not disappoint. n//n  
I have an announcement to make! I know this isn't livejournal, or anything like that, and I shouldn't include any boring personal stuff, BUT! I just have to get this out of my system, 'cause I am so excited!!! I am getting a collection of 15 dvd's of Meitantei Conan, from my greatest, most considerate, coolest, sweetest, most loyal, charming, and ever-loving childhood friend, Francisco-kun for my already gone 16__th__ birthday!! n-n How I love and worship you, my man!!! xD  
Anyway… //cough cough// let's be a little more civilized.. (just for today xD)  
I'm on experimenting-mode, as you can see… First person narration! Hopefully it wasn't too horribly bad… ó.oU  
So yes_—_feedback is extremely constructive, and always _much _appreciated. n.nU  
Thank you for reading! ;D _


	12. No Questions Asked

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I'd like to thank my dear meico-chan for kicking my lazy and temporarily fanfiction-disinterested butt, consequently allowing me to finally finish this fic, at last! Yay for her! n-n  
And though I've had requests previously, this can be classified as my first actual "challenge."  
AH! how exciting!  
I hope you like it s2lou-chan, ;D and all of you readers out there too!**  
**_

_**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n

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**_

**Title:** No Questions Asked

**Summary:** _It was a mere and simple quid pro quo.

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_

"The day is radiant… spring has blossomed… we have the perfect and ideal weather to saunter around the school fields." Stated with clarity a young man of seventeen, watching and hearing the trees rustle merrily, as mischievous and light gushes of the wind playfully tickled them to chuckle. Sakura petals floated and danced in the air, mounting to later plummet, and rushing with violence to later swirl lazily. Fallen and crawling leaves, the only memento of the dead winter, added musicality to the midday hour in which nature appeared to enjoy itself the most.

Unfortunately, Shinichi wasn't having as much fun as his botanic counterparts, for his voice and countenance soon gained a palpable degree of irritation; his gaze having met the folder on his lap. "And yet _why_ am I sitting here, studying these boring, ridiculous, awfully time-consuming calculus theorems under a tree? And in the cold shade, mind you."

"Shinichi," responded his brunette companion, giving him a look of partial amusement and disbelief combined. "You missed one hundred and thirteen consecutive days in school; you haven't touched a single high school textbook in months. And it's practically needless to say that you're behind."

"But it isn't fair." Whined Shinichi for the umpteenth time, shielding his face with his arms as he sprawled on the cool ground. A melee of fallen leaves and Sakura petals were slightly cushioning his back. "Can't I have a small break?"

"We just had one." Laughed Ran before she relieved her cup of its last drop.

"Can't we eat?"

"We just did…"

"Can I sleep?"

"Normal people do that at night." She informed with half-moon eyes, though later raising her eyebrow in consideration. "But what am I saying? You're not normal. Yeah, I guess you can, Shinichi." She added teasingly, giggling with wide amusement once she saw him grunt and glare at her.

They eventually grew quiet, watching the opera of the trees and the wind, crescending to a musical climax, as they were assisted by the jocund laughs and presence of high school students. Everything was chaotic, the leaves, petals, wind, kids; yet together, all of them formed and presented a queer sense of tranquility and peacefulness, as everyone enjoyed themselves without ever disturbing the other.

And a wonderful afternoon this sure was turning out to be.

"Can I watch you practice karate, then?" Shinichi pushed the matter hopefully, laughing a little as he saw Ran press her eyes and disbelievingly shake her head.

"You have to study this, Shinichi, there's no other option."

"What about soccer?"

"No."

"But I need to practice for the tournament. It's a really big deal. Why can't I?"

"Because you're avoiding your responsibilities as a student, Shinichi! You can't do that… No. And stop asking so many questions already!"

"Can we take a walk around?"

"Not another peep from you, mister."

"But Raaan! What kind of girlfriend _are_ you?"

"The kind that keeps her boyfriend stable."

"But doesn't my happiness come first?"

"Of course it does. Now, stop asking questions and copy this formula, Shinichi!"

"But you're making me suffer right now!"

"And you're just throwing a tantrum! Now get to work; it's not that much!"

"But Ra–?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"**Shinichi!**" She exclaimed with desperation; both her and the young man's eyes widening as they heard her voice echo in merciless waves through the entire school grounds, consequently inspiring students to turn their heads to observe, the trees and wind to stop to listen, and the birds to discontinue their light chirps. Ran's cheeks bloomed in disconcert, and she immediately turned to gaze at Shinichi; embarrassment, annoyance, and determination clearly present on her countenance. "Alright, I have an idea. Let's play a game." She murmured secretly, for the decreased music of nature and students continued to be very apparent.

"A—a game?" Repeated he, awestruck by her words and somewhat uneasy of her intentions.

"Now listen carefully. The game consists of two players, and the rules are of extreme importance. Whatever it is that you do, or I do, or tell each other to do, we cannot question each other's actions. If I ask you anything.. absolutely _anything _today, I lose. If you ask _me _anything, _you_ lose. Nice and simple."

"But that doesn't sound like fun…" Complained Shinichi with displeasure as Ran's eyes lowered into a half-moon position.

"Oh well, you have to play, tantei-san." She cooed with a small, toothy grin, loving the expression he gave her as he reclined on his back, and grumbled in disapproval. Soon after, the breeze slowly reinitiated its playful tricks, and the students resumed their lighthearted chats. As she organized and copied her notes for Shinichi's future use, she felt happy in having achieved the restoration of the scholarly atmosphere that should've been there in the very beginning. Having begun this "game," Shinichi would now catch up on his homework, and his lessons, and wouldn't ask a thousand questions to delay his academic responsibilities any longer. She peered at his recumbent and fit figure, surprised to so quickly see him perusing the texts and writing down notes; his educational and responsible self reemerging to life.

It was perfect.

Nearly.

"We didn't technically start this game now, did we?" He suddenly questioned with dubiousness, biting the end of his pen as he cocked his eyebrow in something very similar to apprehension. They sat silently gazing at one another, one mildly fearful, the other somewhat incredulous, until Ran broke the silence with a soft sigh. "Well _now_, I guess not…"

"What's the prize?"

"Nani?"

"The prize… you know, like any other game, there is an objective which you strive towards throughout the entire course. What's our objective?" He explained reasonably and later looked at his girlfriend expectantly, seeing how she gazed at him with wonder, to later grin at him with mischief.

"Our objective is to maintain tranquil and quiet peace for twenty-four hours… Do you consider that possible, Shinichi..?"

Now _that _was disappointing.

He groaned and muttered even further protests under his breath, frowning with visible displeasure as he heard her giggle; the light and mirthful tones that came from her lips sounding to him though, as the most diabolical, malignant, and evil… _purely_ evil of all satisfied and malevolent laughs combined.

He sighed with resignation and turned his gaze to the dreaded notes, though as suddenly as he'd done so, did the glorious yet ear-piercing chant of the school bell resound from the halls. No longer did he need to look at the idiotic annotations. He was saved.

Jerking from the ground and therefore abandoning his duties, he had to grin with amusement as he met Ran's half-lidded gaze. Between laughs and teases, both teens eventually managed to gather their belongings, and rather quickly began to walk back to class.

"This is it, Shinichi." Ran stated with a smirk.

"What?"

"AH! Noo! You cannot ask anything, don't you forget that. The game's started, and from now on, there must be absolutely no questions between us. Is that cle—ah, er… I-I hope that's clear." She finished with some drops of sweat forming on her skin, blushing in embarrassment as Shinichi openly laughed at her.

"Fine, fine. From now on, no questions asked."

* * *

It wasn't as simple as he'd expected. 

Shinichi officially believed this was the worst game he'd played… ever. Firstly, no comment could he make nor a bit of sarcasm could he speak, for he'd quickly come to realize he'd formulate every single one of these as questions. Now, rhetorical questions? They also had an absolute chance of _never_ being made, because yes indeed, they still possessed that miserly interrogative sign at their tails. And as he was informed by Ran after a few minutes of playing, not only were the rules of no questioning limited to each other, but also to the rest of the class. No questions to a teacher, a classmate, or a friend. Nothing of that kind for today; one entire day.

So thus far, as already two hours of this ridiculous game had elapsed, the rules were already becoming difficult enough, and Shinichi's mood was slowly gaining symptoms of frustration.

His occasional sense of humor was practically being boycotted; he was not allowed to delay the senseless schoolwork either. Shinichi quickly came to accept he hadn't a single alternative, but to stick his attractive and overly-informed nose into the odd-smelling paper of his _English literature and Composition _textbook, and get _over it_. But yet again, it wasn't so simple. In moments of extreme irritation, after his patient listening of a thirty minute long tirade over the kindergarten basics of Physics, and not even being able to comment sarcastically over the lesson, he'd just take a glance over at Ran's side…

To see her clearly smirking at him, her eyes glimmering brightly, as she quickly moved her gaze back to the blackboard… with, was it satisfaction?

She, Ran, his devoted childhood friend, lifelong confidante, loyal and good-natured girlfriend… was taking pleasure in seeing him frustrated over his responsibilities as a student, his obligation to complete the dimwitted schoolwork, the mere horridness of the day, the pure absurdness of this game?

Oh, this act was most certainly cruel. But Shinichi took it a little too personally. He trifled with the fountain pen in his hands, frowning in a mixture of concentration and annoyance, as he thought of a way to make his retaliation. He couldn't think of anything though, but to say something to anger, or annoy, or frustrate her. He decided a short taunting would be the best. Stretching to reach her desk, not before taking a quick glance at the zombie-like teacher, he hissed in her ear, "You're not going to win this game, Ran." Said girl, having been taken by surprise, turned to give him an incredulous look, yet she met a pair of daring and quite arrogant sapphire eyes. "You won't be able to beat me, you'll see. It's just a matter of time." Repeated he, smiling with overconfidence, and entirely oblivious to the great mistake he'd just taken.

Ran's eyebrows slowly lifted, and as seconds crawled by, she too, took this act personally. Her brow slightly furrowed, her gaze became far more determined, even a bit aggressive, as a soft grin gently formed on the contours of her lips.

So that's how it was, huh? He thought he was going to win?

Oh, how she was to wipe that grin off her boyfriend's pretty face.

Another hour elapsed. Shinichi's previous taunts had slightly alleviated his frustration and hopelessness, but classes were looking tragically boring. And that irksome game; it was becoming painfully difficult to play. Yet to his profound dismay, it was a very short matter of time, before he came to the misfortune of being acquainted to Ran's planned vengeance. The girl had decided to provide a new and nascent obstacle for this "unquestionable" game.

As their tedious lessons ticked by with hideous lentitude, and Shinichi's head was already hanging dangerously from his hand, he found her – for some strange and inexplicable reason – stretching to take a pen from his hands, to later slowly caress some object from his jacket. Shinichi's eyebrows rose, and his cheeks became tinted as he heard a few muffled giggles from some nearby classmates. He was sure to ask her what the heck was going on, yet Ran was intensely focused on using his pen, and undertaking whatever task she'd set herself to do. He contorted his lips dubiously, and with a sigh directed his attention back to the board, deciding to forget about that little episode.

Yet he was oblivious to her smirking lips.

Just as he was dosing off for the seventh time that afternoon, he jerked back impulsively as a small and feminine hand quietly reappeared on his desk, with a deep scarlet pen in her fingers. He looked at Ran's face, only to feel his jaw tense at the heart-skipping sight of her darkened eyes, rosy-hued cheeks, and her broad, flirtatious, and shockingly _dirty _smile. It was a spectacle which (after a moment of intense facial combustion) forced him to instinctively mutter, "W-what are you–?"

Ran's eyebrows smoothly rose in expectation; an action which seemed to function as a reality check of sorts, as his mouth came to a rapid, uncomfortable, and brusque shut. He was appalled to notice her looking at him with wonder, her eyes surely sparkling with laughter, as a few moments later, she simply shrugged and smiled pleasantly, to look back at the board.

Did she just..?

'_Yes she did…'_ Groaned a flustered internal voice.

Oh, how _tricky _she was! He almost couldn't believe it! She was _seducing_ him to lose now..?!

Ooh, but she didn't know Kudou Shinichi, alright! He was an honorable man, not at all known for being all-too vincible, and certainly not popular for being submissive. He was proud, both physically and mentally strong, intelligent, and beautifully self-sufficient. Most importantly though, he was wholly resolute in overcoming this horrid day with a victorious smile (or his self-esteem and _amour propre_ would most likely suffer the consequences). So despite witnessing for the rest of the day, his cheating and very pretty competitor's leg do strange, yet awfully enticing swirls under her desk, or her tongue performing meaningful dances on her lips with showy and calculated movements, he firmly kept his hand on his mouth and prevented his lips from once again uttering god-knows-what.

He somehow and very admirably managed to survive the last several minutes of class, before the noisome yet wonderful sound of the bell indicated the finalization of school. Students sprung to their feet, carelessly tossed folders into their satchels, some ran for freedom down the corridors of Teitan High, while others giggled and gossiped their little feet home. Shinichi felt like joining his racing friends, though after so many hours of battle, he felt far too physically, emotionally, and hormonally tired to sprint his way home as he desired.

"Hi, Shinichi. Looking good…" Sang Ran with a slight tug on her lips, consequently earning the glare of the year.

"This is your fault!"

"What did I–? I-I mean… I didn't do anything." She corrected herself nervously.

"Oh sure you did, you—_you_—" Ran's eyebrows and lips rose with amusement; clearly enjoying his frustrated and far-too exceptional speechlessness. He huffed and dismissed that sentence. "Look, I wouldn't be this ruined if you hadn't made this evening so difficult!"

"I still don't know what I did!"

"Oh yeah, sure you didn't! And I'm sure that leg and tongue of yours were moving on their very own!"

"Maybe they were…" She hummed and smiled secretively, stealing a lovely hue of color from Shinichi's cheeks.

"Yo Kudou!" Both Shinichi and Ran turned to look at a simple young man, radiating with a jocundly young smile, and dressed with the school's soccer jersey. "Mouri-chan," He acknowledged with a nod, and turned back to his friend; his countenance even smelling of excitement. "Kudou, I have got the_ best_ news of the year. You will not—_cannot_—I mean, this is just so.. ng.. dammit, I can't even talk."

"What's the matte–? Ahg, never mind." Finished Shinichi with an annoyed expression, glancing at the girl beside him who tried her hardest not to burst out in laughter.

"We have been gifted, man! The gods! The gods themselves have given us hot, _hot_ chicks from Toto University who shall be cheerleading, and rooting for us during our next games! Isn't that great! I mean, Toto university girls! Toto! They'll be training with us from now on, and actually they're here right now, in the gym, with those lovely miniskirts, and those tight shirts, and I think I'm gonna die, 'cause, oh man…" The poor boy seemed like he'd melt right then and there, into a boiling pool of extreme infatuation.

"That's nice…" Commented Shinichi a little too lightly, rotating on his heels and resuming his stroll to his residence. His complete indifference for college girls bewildered his soccer teammate though; enough to make the young man explode in angry bafflement.

"What's the matter with you? Aren't you glad?"

"Uh, yeah sure."

"I don't know, Kudou… You don't sound too excited!" He roared with irritation.

"I'm excited…" Hummed the other man, still walking, and with an entertained smile forming on his lips.

"You aren't just pretending you don't like the news 'cause you have your wife around, right?" He said with an air of suspicion, eyeballing Shinichi a little insecurely.

"She's not my wife! And no, I'm not pretending anything."

"Then how can you not be happy?! _Excited_?! T-there are college girls—_ch-cheerleaders_, mind you, waiting in there for you, and you.. you don't care?!" The poor boy was already stuttering from indignation.

"Okay, fine, I'll admit it." Acquiesced Shinichi, turning a hundred and eighty degrees to stare at his teammate. "I'm a bit… _not_ on the enthusiastic and excited side."

"Not even for twenty year-old cheerleaders?"

"No. Not even for them…" He proclaimed with a soft grin, and somewhat haughtily, as he turned on his heels with casual elegance.

"_Oh_, this is most disgustingly unfair." Groaned the man behind Shinichi; his stress swiftly growing as he slouched behind the prancing detective. "You, Kudou Shinichi, a person who is most indifferent, most apathetic, who almost doesn't give a damn about women, who is most asexual, ("Hey!") has the whole freakin' female population in school after him! And even college girls! Those cheerleaders in the gym—d-did you know?—they were asking the entire soccer team about you! They wanted to know where you were, and what you were doing, and if you were still the captain of the team! Beautiful, twenty year-old, fabulously shaped women."

"Hm… that's interesting."

"SEE?! You don't even care!" Howled the poor young man; both Shinichi and Ran starting to fear for his emotional health. "Why should a guy like you get so many girls? Why, oh god, why?! Do you see it isn't fair, for the rest of us, normal people, who actually_ like_ women?"

"Hi, Kudou-kun…" Suddenly sang a passing group of girls, flashing their most beautiful smiles, and batting their long black eyelashes.

"Hi…" Hummed Shinichi nonchalantly.

"God_ damn it_! See?! That's **exactly** what I'm talking about!" Exploded the young soccer player yet _again_; huffing and puffing furiously, as if ready to destroy three little pigs' houses. "That's not cool!"

"I'm sorry..!" Laughed Shinichi lightly, taking the freedom of stopping for a second. "Oh c'mon, don't worry about it. This shouldn't last forever, they'll get tired of following me around eventually!" He obtained a grimace in response. "Look, let me buy you something next time… I'd do it now, but I have to get going."

"What, you got a case? I thought you were gonna stay for practice."

"No, not today. I just wanna get home. I'm wiped out." He sighed, glaring at his girlfriend significantly. "And _she's_ the cause of it."

"I still don't know what I've done!" Protested Ran with a light laugh.

"_Ahhhh_, so you're going home with your girlfriend? Now I see why you can't stay…" Whispered the athlete to Shinichi, with a wide and almost degenerate grin on his lips. Shinichi's face flushed a profound shade of scarlet, once he came to realize the meaning of such implication.

"No, no! I wasn't even gonna go to her house! It's not what you th–" his swift whispering was interrupted though.

"About _time_, Kudou." He grinned giddily, "I'm glad for you though. Mouri-chan is one sweet girl." The modern detective merely remained silent, though his cheeks weren't capable of retaining their blush. "She waited for you for a long while, too! I think you should… maybe _pay her back_. For her loyalty, you know?" Smiled the man suggestively, darting his eyebrows up and down, as he chirped his cleats on his way back to the gymnasium. "Quid pro quo, Kudou! I'll see ya tomorrow. Bye, Mouri-san!"

Ran waved back as Shinichi merely stood wide-eyed; every limb inert, and petrified like stone, as his teammate's words stentorianly echoed through his mind. His eyes soon became wide, distant, and glossy, as the answer to his problems, the only and perfect mechanism to make justice, lay before him as a bare monster with a fluorescent banner.

'_Quid pro quo… Quid pro quo...' _

"Shinichi..." Said man turned to look at the expectant and slightly smiling girl before him, "I'd ask you if you're okay, and if you're done pondering over the mysteries of the world… but then again, you know I'm not allowed to." She grinned humorously, and turned with casualness to begin her way home. "C'mon, walk with me."

And with a small, deliberate, and mysterious smirk, he complied.

"I'm surprised you haven't lost our game yet, Shinichi." She asseverated with a small and candid smile, "Quite frankly, I thought you would last for an hour or so, at most. But you've definitely managed to exceed my expectations. Congratulations."

"You talk as if I were a hyperactive child…" He grumbled with half-moon eyes.

"Well, maybe that's because you _are_." Laughed Ran mirthfully, swinging her satchel as she gazed beyond the still rustling trees. Her lips remained curved into a smile as she absentmindedly observed the scenery, and long, peaceful seconds tenderly elapsed. Her kissing-skin seemed to gradually relax, creating a mere and soft upward curve. Then her eyes slowly darkened, yet a bright and delightful glimmer illuminated the obscurity of her pupils. Not even thirty seconds had passed, when then, with the a-little-too-friendly expression, the soft smirk still on her rosy lips, and that coquettish air, she looked at him, and did it again.

The seductive side-glance, with a soft biting of her lower lip, accompanied by the slightly furrowed brow…

Topped with the swaying hips, and the swaying skirt, and the incredible display of very nicely shaped legs.

Yes, Shinichi was sweating again. His right hand instinctively rose to rub his scorching hot cheek, attempting to ease its growing temperature, as he gulped and gaped at the teasing girl beside him. The _cheating_ girl beside him. How dare she? Continuing her attempts to make him fail… And with such audacity! And such insolence!

Yet he still watched her. Her eyes, her flowing hair, what he knew to be delicious lips, the dancing folds of her skirt. She seduced him with her gaze, and enticed his hormones with her movements; her unusual arrogance and utmost loveliness suddenly reminding him of a peacock, gorgeous and proud, rustling its feathers to her suitor with an impeccable display.

Then suddenly, the silky peacock rose her plumed wing, and stretched her long index and thumb before his face. Her hand showed the symbol for…

"L…" She pronounced with a grin of confidence.

Meaning to say…

"For loser."

Shinichi's eyebrow twitched, as something inside of him seemed to spark.

"You're not going to win, tantei-san… Your beautiful red cheeks are proof of it. You cannot resist my charm…" She smirked as she murmured her taunts to his ear, laughing like a maniac internally, as she saw his awestruck and steaming countenance, caused by their excessively close distance. Yes, she most certainly knew she was being mean to him, but hey! Shinichi was usually the cocky and insufferable one, who teased her consistently; this was a golden opportunity, her moment of glory, a beautiful chance to finally bother him a little. And she was going to enjoy it to its fullest. "Admit it, Shinichi. You're bound to stutter a question to me and lose this game. Get over it—accept defeat already."

Despite feeling the girl's young breath on his neck, and his goose bumps rise in response to the acute sensation, Shinichi kept his gaze far ahead, into the green branches, light sky, and busy streets.

With a wide and determined smile suddenly spreading on his lips.

"No." Announced he with a powerful voice, startling the girl beside him. "You'd wish so, Ran… but I'm afraid I won't make this such an easy victory for you. My apologies, but we shall see who's the one to slip an inquiry first…" He smiled with his returning arrogance, seeing how it was now Ran's turn to look awestruck. With refined casualness, he moved his head and profound gaze forward once again. And his dark pair of eyes gleamed with bright mischief, at the remembrance of that Latin phrase.

"I hope you have no responsibilities pending this afternoon, Ran…" he expressed with a broad grin, and feeling elated by the potent return of his determination. "I wish to lurk around your house for a bit."

* * *

A door creaked in pain, as a male teenager's hand gently pushed it open. Large, penetrating eyes carefully surveyed the room, meeting nothing but an empty chair, an undone bed, and a strange melee of newspaper articles, crumples of paper, beer cans, and an occasional lollypop wrapper. His full lips curved to form a smile. '_No one here either.'_

He shut the door with a quiet thud, and as he walked through the small vestibule, slipped his hands inside the cool and comfortable pockets of his uniform. That was the last room to inspect, before he could properly declare the Mouri apartment as "empty," and return to the agency with a clear mind.

And also a clear coast…

He departed from the house he'd once resided in as the chirpy Edogawa Conan-kun, and clicked the door to a close just as memories of that strange epoch crowded his already occupied mind. It was nearly bizarre how all events had unfolded during his time as a child; his adult body having been dramatically altered into that of Conan's, practically from one minute to the next, and for months he hadn't progressed in obtaining a permanent cure. The syndicate flashed itself very, _very_ occasionally, and no significant advancements could be made. Just as he was beginning to grow flustered, (either that, or get a stinging ulcer of stress), the _kurozukume_ had appeared just as randomly as they first had in Tropical Land, and somewhere between a stroke of luck and a rush of extreme acumen, he'd managed to lead the operation to a very well deserved success.

And everything had occurred within a small week, at most…

Shinichi's fingers came into contact with the coldness of a doorknob, and while turning the stainless steel, he stepped into the tranquil quietness of the small detective agency. Only a teapot rattling metallically, and the soft whistling of boiling vapor could be perceptible to his ears as he shut the front door. With his hand still on the metal knob, his fingers stealthily secured the lock as a meaningful smile was reunited to his lips.

The young man silently walked by the kitchen, his eyes sharply catching sight of Ran's back and long brown hair, glistening with luster and slightly swinging as she prepared their tea; handling herbs which were impregnating the air with an aroma strongly sweet. He resisted the urge (and quite admirably, it must be said) to sneak up behind her and hug her waist, yet with much self-discipline, Shinichi chose to walk to the living room and sink into its new, comfortably cushioned couch.

And there he waited. Pondering over his plan, molding it and twisting it in his head, ameliorating the smallest detail, shaping its whole body from ever naturally blemished, to a wild and awe-inspiring perfection. After a few minutes of being buried within the cushions with his arms crossed, legs in a comfortable contact with the ground, a slippered foot absentmindedly tapping the floor, and his gaze thoughtfully distant, a wholehearted and ecstatic grin peeked through his lips. He was successful; the plan was indeed perfected.

And he could hardly wait to put it into action.

Oh, how he yearned to finally make his proper vengeance! His veins were large with thrilled blood; they carried the scarlet liquid to his cheeks, making them bloom with excitement and anticipation. The soccer-strengthened heart accelerated its beats, his muscles tightened and tensed, an even toothier smile radiated through his lips. As seconds ticked by with the steady rhythm of the clock, he craved to see the look in her eyes as he'd finally take control; see the confusion and surprise and astonishment in them. Her lips would eventually and most definitely part, they would speak their perplexity, they would ask.

And then, Shinichi would have won the idiotic game, and meanwhile give her a taste of her own medicine.

'_Oh, Matsuda, I love you man! You and your quid pro quo!'_

"Hey." Suddenly hummed a smooth voice. Shinichi looked up to see Ran gliding towards the living room, a hungry-kind-of-excited smile on her face, as she held a large tray and placed it with dexterity on the table before him. He was awestruck to see its contents; two large mugs of tea, and nothing but a single broad dish buried under a mountain of treats, cookies, and astonishing amounts of creamy, sugary, and delicious flummery. How that pile of food defied the laws of gravity and didn't even wobble, was beyond Shinichi's comprehension, but as he saw a small fair hand reach for one of them, tearing a small piece, and bringing it to her lips, Shinichi's attention effectively changed focus.

And the infamous grin returned to his face.

"Mm… Shinichi, you gotta try this," she said sincerely as she sank next to him and into the vanilla cushions of the couch; the small portion of cake was still being savored in her mouth. "It's really creamy, but it's excellent…"

"Fine…" He sang casually, crashing his lips against Ran's and prompting her to open her mouth, tasting the cloying sweetness _she _told him to taste, and feeling other sweet things on the way as well. Ran was gasping and gaping in shock, too flustered to even react, while Shinichi was already separating from her like a flash and further savoring the sugar in his mouth.

He seemed willing to comment after a few seconds, "Maybe you're right…" he hummed, as Ran continued to stare at him with her jaw hung in the air.

Fortunately, her mandible eventually loosened. "W-what… what was that all abou–?" And now it was _Shinichi's_ turn to raise his eyebrows expectantly, and Ran's turn to lock her mouth. He grinned with satisfaction and turned to stretch his arm towards the tray, grasping the handle of his mug and approaching it to his mouth. The high temperature caused him to wince, yet he was pleased by the sweetness of the tea, and after sufficient consumption, he returned it to its appropriate location.

'_Alright…' _

"Hmph, I don't understand. From one second you're the normal Shinichi, the next you get either crazy or romantic on me… Or both! It's like you have mood swings, Shinichi…" Mumbled the girl with crimson cheeks, once having successfully retrieved her firm voice.

The young man smiled broadly, "You're no exception. Now you may be normal, but I still remember your coquettish alter ego swinging her pretty hair and teasing me this afternoon."

"Oh…" She blinked in realization and slowly smirked back, seemingly remembering with pride of what she'd done earlier. "Well…" her eyebrows arched upward. "It's not like you didn't deserve it."

'_Ready…'_

"Don't tell me that you don't regret that evil, _shameful _foul play of yours!" He feigned indignation.

"_Foul play_!" Repeated Ran with a laugh, "Your terminology somehow always manages to revolve around criminals, Shinichi… but no, I don't regret it. I rather liked it."

'_Set!'_

"You're pure evil today…" he mumbled.

"Oh, c'mon… it's not like you didn't enjoy seeing me swing my legs at you. At least a little…" She smiled teasingly, gradually and fully settling into her previous mood at school.

'_Go!'_

"Or my blowing kisses at you…" She began to numerate her deeds with a soft smirk on her lips, "or caressing your arm… or eyeballing you! You certainly liked that one…" Shinichi was crawling on the couch towards her; a deathly serious expression darkening his countenance, as he cupped her bent knee. "Or sighing in your ear…"

"I'll show you how to sigh, all right." He murmured vindictively, and Ran couldn't refrain from giving a hearty laugh; its musicality sounding so feminine, it produced a faint flush on Shinichi's previously pale cheeks. Nevertheless, he was still determined to undertake his perfect plan, and with a conspiratorial grin, he slightly rubbed her small knees, to gradually commence his slide over her fair legs.

Ran's light giggles came to a confused end, and she rubbed her glossy eyes as she sensed smooth heat dangerously rising on her skin. Her questioning eyes darted to Shinichi's. "W-wha..?"

Shinichi's hands were deliberately voyaging north on her legs, tenderly caressing the sensitive areas he'd apparently memorized, while simultaneously warming them up. Goose bumps rose in response to the stimulus, and Ran's heart began to race, "Shinichi, w-what are you do–?" her perplexed words became trapped in her throat, as a soft, arrogant, and awfully enticing smirk had danced on Shinichi's crimson lips. His dilated pupils acquired a sparkling glow, and they soon burned and penetrated through her skin, as he seemed to visually devour her form. Ran's eyes and mouth remained wide; she was far too confused to act.

Yet Shinichi's hands had now managed to creep inside her pleated skirt.

"W-what! Shinichi..!" She gasped in shock, her face inflamed as he gently pressed her back against the cushions, with one hand still marauding up her thighs, "What are you doin–ah!" Shinichi had planted an openmouthed kiss on her neck; a very advanced kiss, as a matter of fact, which was a little strange to purvey to an area other than the mouth. _'Almost asked!' _Cheered the young detective mentally while chuckling at her reactions; he decided to loosen Ran's emerald tie, gaining further and deeper access to rejoice in the delicious skin. He teased her further by maintaining his hands on her; one tightly trapped between her tensed thighs, and another on her waist, choosing to squeeze her skin every few seconds, and delight in the squirms of the girl.

"Shinichi! Stop! Why are you…uh!" Ran was trying to control her breathing as much as possible; her evil boyfriend was still pressed against her, and could probably feel her chest hopping for oxygen. His breath was now teasing her neck, "You love torturing me for a whole day in school, seducing me in every publicly-permitted way, and teasing me as much as you can. Yet when I do it to you, you cannot tolerate a minute of it…" He rose from her neck to gaze deeply into her eyes; a wide grin of satisfaction was on his lips. "A bit of an irony, if you ask me. Oh well. At least now, you have an idea of what I went through today."

"An idea…" Repeated she, her eyes soon widening in astonishment. "You did all of this out of spite!"

"Not quite." He admitted seductively with a very low voice, rising one of his hands to fingertip her lips."You have, after all, merely an _idea _of what I suffered… this is not nearly enough to give you an accurate perception." His fingers gently slipped inside her mouth, and a surprised groan escaped Ran's throat, as her face reddened to its maximum shade.

"So we'll have to keep going with this." He grinned mischievously, his other hand nearly successful in reaching its destination. "Besides, I want to win this idiotic game. I'll just tease you until you slip a question, which _is _bound to happen, considering how reckless you are."

Ran's eyes flared with determination, and she softly nipped at his fingers so he'd take them away. "I'm not gonna lose, if that's what you're trying to say!"

Shinichi smiled broadly as he stretched his arm to a nearby lamp, his eyes still gleaming beguilingly. "We'll see about that…"

_And then the soft glow blinked off._

_

* * *

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	13. A Hard Blow of Greek Mythology: Segment1

_I am SO sorry..!! T.T I cannot express the great amount of disappointment and shame that I feel at the present moment. Two months and a half..? To provide a miserly update? O.oU I better not get a shotgun in my hands during the next days, 'cause I swear, I'll use it. xD_

_This story is dedicated to my dearest BlackMailer-chan, who made the sweetest Ranichi sketch for me in honor of Valentine's day… Thank you, love! n/n_

_And yes! It is finally alternate universe time… :D_

_  
**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

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**Title:** A Hard Blow of Greek Mythology (1st Segment)

**Summary:** _"Make her dote on the most horrid creature you can find."_

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******T**here was once an elven duchess who charmed all with her loveliness. "The Goddess of Beauty" was what mortals called her, and men all over the kingdom revered and loved her for her distinctive and highly appealing physical qualities. The elven duchess always wore a delicate smile, and looked upon her admirers with intelligent sapphire eyes, which could pierce into the soul of any man, and could gain the instant admiration of both mortals and her kind. Crisp golden curls embraced her body and face, and further completed the godly magnificence of her mien.

Yukiko was her name, and though she was gorgeous and witty, she had an unfortunate tendency of becoming both angry and jealous.

There came a day when Yukiko awoke from the silky linen of her bed, and approached her opened window to proudly look out onto her temple, the place where hoards of men would present oblations to honor her beauty, and pray to the gods that some day they may gaze upon her. Yet to the duchess' astonishment, that day she found not a single person within the colossal corridors of her temple. She rushed from her dormitory – which she shared with her handsome novelist husband – and abruptly questioned the first handmaid she encountered in the palace. "Can you explain to me what's happened in this kingdom that should restrain men from entering my temple?"

The handmaid, though flustered by the sudden exclamation of her benefactor, obediently responded. "I-I'm afraid I do not know, Your Grace…"

"Why, this cannot be! Could there be no logical reason behind these mortals' absence? Am I losing my beauty?" She groaned to herself, pressing her golden hair and perfect cheekbones.

"Well—this is a mere hypothesis, Your Grace, and it may very well be irrelevant to your current predicament–"

"Just say it already…"

"There's been a certain young woman from the towns, Duchess, who's been gaining considerable recognition for her beauteous appearance during the last few weeks. I do not recall her name, though I have seen her once, and she is quite beautiful."

The immortal Yukiko remained in silent thought for some moments. "A mortal?"

"Yes."

"And men have been swooning over this mortal girl?"

"I'm afraid that's true, Your Grace. Of this I'm quite sure."

The duchess cupped her chin as she paced to a nearby window, gazing at the delicate plum trees in deep reflection, as a cool breeze brushed the golden locks of her hair.

"You suppose that these men have deserted my temple to instead gaze upon such a plebeian creature?"

The elven maid shivered involuntarily; her benefactor's current posture and tone of voice had always caused dangerous consequences.

"I cannot assent to that, Your Grace. I am not sure if the girl is indeed the motive behind why no humans have approached the temple. But.. perhaps an animal died upon the temple's entrance? Would you like me to confirm that, Your Grace?"

"Don't bother. I'm quite sure no animal would have dared to expire within the boundaries of the Kudous' territory." And with that, Yukiko angrily stormed away, abandoning her subservient assistant in the marble halls of the palace.

It would be wise to further declare, that in addition to being beautiful, intelligent, and proud, the duchess had a well-deserved reputation for being fearfully powerful. Ever since she was a child some thousands of years ago, she'd possessed very superior levels of magic, and – to the horror of most – even had an additional access to special "utensils," which aided her already gifted capabilities. Thus, she had always done as she pleased with whomever was outside of her family circle, and accomplished exactly what she desired. Both mankind and elves were careful not to inspire anger from her in any manner, for they knew that the moment they'd fall into Yukiko's onyx black list, they'd either wish to commit seppuku or plunge straight into the seventh circle of hell, before having to endure any bit of her wrath.

It was unfortunate that Yukiko's bosom encountered such intense feelings at the moment, for the ill-fated recipient of her fury, would most certainly suffer the most dreadful of consequences.

After a few days had passed, Yukiko indeed confirmed her suspicions. A human girl of merely eighteen years of age had recently been receiving adoring appraisals from every person in the kingdom of Beika. This very young woman had gained unquestionable recognition for the breathtaking beauty of her figure, and was so overwhelmingly beautiful, in fact, that both men and women who met her tender gaze, seemed to develop such great pleasure in their hearts, that their eyes swiftly became glossy wells of pure delight. The number of people who compared her beauty to Yukiko's was growing…

And consequently, the duchess fumed in anger, indignation, and jealousy…

She was the elf of beauty! She represented loveliness! How could it be that men were abandoning her to worship some homespun? How could an immortal and superior being like her, be even _compared_ to a mere insolent mortal girl?

Over this dilemma, Yukiko did not even ponder, for her heart was far too overwhelmed with teaching that "foul mortal creature" a lesson she'd never forget. As you can see, Yukiko had a tendency to be vengeful as well…

One lovely afternoon, when the warm breeze played with the nature of the gardens, and the alchemist in the sky bathed every leaf in calid gold, the elven duchess walked with elegant determination through the corridors of her home. From room to room, each with long meters across and several stories in altitude, she journeyed and strode, to finally encounter her destination—a set of wide and closed doors. She lowered their handles, and entered into a room equally large, which unlike the rest of the house, was warmly cozy and contained wooden furniture. Hundreds of thousands of books saturated the walls, and decorated both furniture and floors; and amidst the collections of yellowish paper and knowledge, the youthful figure of a man could be discerned upon his preferred armchair.

"Shinichi," called out the duchess as she walked to his side, and she embraced his neck while patiently awaiting a response. He grunted instead.

"I need you to do me a favor, it's very important…"

Nonetheless, the elven young man remained deeply immersed in the world of his brown leather book, and was so astonishingly oblivious to Yukiko's words, that the beauteous woman was forced to snatch the novel from his hands, and shut it with an echoing thud.

"What are you doing?! You lost the page!" He yelped in shock, and the duchess folded her fair arms upon her chest.

"You weren't listening to me, Shinichi!"

"It was just getting to the best part! You could've at least put your finger—ah! Whatever. What do you want? It better be worthwhile." He grunted further, parting from his chair to gaze onto the plum gardens behind the palace.

"Have you heard of a mortal girl by the name of Ran?"

"Ran?"

"She's been gaining many admirers throughout the kingdom. Too many for my taste, if you ask me…" Confessed the duchess with a dangerous grimace, as her son continued to absentmindedly gaze at the scenery beyond his opened window. The cooling breeze rocked his bangs of darkly glistening hair to and fro, and his hand rose to feel his chin in silent thought. His appearance resembled his mother's greatly, though the spell was quickly broken, once his eyes glimmered in recollection.

"You mean that mortal girl whom men have been pursuing?"

"Not exactly. I hear men are too enraptured with her beauty, to dare ask for her hand in marriage. It's a shame." Smirked Yukiko devilishly, though with serious determination she looked back at her son. "Have you seen this pretentious girl?"

"I believe I did… Once. Why such great concern over a human girl, though?"

The duchess's brow tensed as she concentrated in thought, and soon with a movement of her hand, she called for her son to join her. "Come with me, Shinichi. This situation calls for your services."

The two elves exited the library together, and Yukiko led the way to their awaiting destination. After some time of pacing through marble floors, and descending long sets of stairs, both mother and son reached the posterior section of the palace, where the halls and rooms ended to give entrance to a secret garden. No animals lived in the hidden arbor, nor did any sound but that of water resound; only milky-white wisteria managed to blossom, and they bibulously dangled from the trees. The strange garden had been enchanted long ago, and thus, solar light could never penetrate through that spell; only night was permitted to prevail.

Into this garden did Yukiko and Shinichi enter, though the latter remained at the entrance, as his mother moved towards the center of the oasis, before an ancient and very beautifully carved fountain. Her hands delved into the pale cloth of her gown, and took out a tiny crystal container as she carefully sat by the edge of the stone fountain. "Come, Shinichi." She beckoned, as the opaque and pearl-white water writhed within the antique fountain, as if squirming and dancing with life. With an utmost degree of concentration, Yukiko sank the crystal container within the water, and decanted that strange substance into the small bottle.

Once having collected a fair dosage, the duchess rose the crystal bottle from the fountain and sealed it with a cork. With the shimmering hem of her gown, she carefully wiped any lonesome drops remaining on the outer shell of the container, and with a satisfied expression, presented it to her son.

"This juice, made from the nectar of pearls and the milky foam of the sea, is called _aphros_. When it touches a person's skin, it causes for that individual to most passionately love the first person he or she sees… You are to sprinkle that girl's skin with this, Shinichi, and make her dote on the most horrid creature you can find."

"How am I to do that, though?" Wondered the boy, taking the _aphros _in his hands, which was slowly transforming its colors from a milky white to a soft petal pink.

"There is a large festival this upcoming Saturday, where all people in the kingdom will gourmandize and dance through an entire evening. You are to disguise yourself and attend the party, give this to her somehow. You can put it in her drink, if you like. After she's taken it, you are to return to the palace, escorted by the guards, and you are to tell me whom she's fallen madly in love with. Now keep this bottle until when you need it for Saturday, and just make sure the _aphros_ doesn't touch you, please."

Saturday arrived more swiftly than projected, and when the flaming sun hid behind the ridges of faraway mountains, the crescent moon shone in the sky, faintly illuminating the roads of Beika. Four dark figures walked from the splendor of a colossal palace, three wearing hunter green tunics and guarding a single wearing midnight blue. With silent elegance, the royal elves sprang from the ground to comfortably sit on their horses, and they quickly began their cavalcade to the center of Beika.

Shinichi's lips began to form a soft grin, as his fingers touched the cool glass of the _aphros _in his pocket. He'd been appointed this mischievous task, because he truly was the perfect and sole individual capable of completing it. Like his mother, the elven duchess of beauty, he too had a power unique and exclusive, given to him before birth.

And it lay in his eyes.

During his entire existence, the young Kudou had possessed the gift of inspiring love in the hearts of both people and elves. It was quick and rather easy, for all he had to do was direct his enrapturing gaze into the eyes of any passerby, and soon the victim's face would flush in ecstasy, and their lips whimper in desire. Shinichi practiced this power for entertainment, though, and never used it in the need to receive love from anyone. For you see, in addition to his devilish pleasure of teasing any living being, and making them experience a passionate and overwhelming love, he in actuality was an elf of quite an apathetic personality. He'd never held any strong affection for anyone, no one beside his mother and father, and neither could he be successfully courted. Too many a girl had attempted in winning his heart over the several millennia, both royal elves and youngling females, yet he remained stoic and almost coldly indifferent to their feelings. Love couldn't penetrate his heart.

And Yukiko was so proud.

A deep fondness bloomed in her heart every time she witnessed her magnificently handsome Adonis rejecting another girl, and she always applauded his cool apathy, cheering and urging him on. For this reason did all living creatures fear the two; even elves with their own powerful abilities, regarded Shinichi as a terrible and most dangerous monster, who could play with the sentiments of anyone. Yet this very gift, this wonderfully dreadful power only given to _him_, would allow him to successfully accomplish his appointed task. He could doom the girl, the current recipient of his mother's fury, and make her dote on anything or anyone. And never would her beauty incite his body in the least; his indifference to the opposite sex was nearly a superpower of its own.

The company of elves arrived upon the entrance doors of an unrefined and rugged building, worn with centuries of excessive use, yet warm with liveliness as jocund and perhaps intoxicated laughs exploded from within. Lighthearted music could be easily perceived, as the young elven marquis, amidst the quiet darkness of the night, hopped off his horse and mutely signaled for his guards to await his return. The three elves acquiesced to his wish, and as the moon bathed the young Kudou in a milky paleness, he walked to the building with the ultramarine hood of his cloak concealing his renowned face.

Shinichi disguised himself within the droves of guffawing townspeople, dodging with amusement a few stumbling cases of intense intoxication, as he calmly searched for his prey. And it wasn't too late before he found it. The lonesome figure of a very young woman, seated on the wooden stool of a bar with her fist supporting face, as she gazed at a multifarious display of alcoholic drinks. Shinichi approached her silently, and pulled the chair next to hers with screeching loudness, making the somnolent girl suddenly startle in fright. The elven marquis nonetheless sat beside her, and with a courteous smile forming upon his lips, he greeted the girl with merry politeness, while excitedly preparing himself for his upcoming roguery.

Mouri Ran happened to be the eighteen-year-old's full name, and rumors about her were indeed true. Her beauty was breathtaking, and her face continually radiated with innocence and sincerity. Her movements were well-mannered and yet entirely spontaneous; she was surprisingly amiable, candid, and attentive. As the twosome conversed with one another, Shinichi perceived the great degree of awe that flowed in the beautiful girl's eyes. She seemed to linger amidst a mixture of surprise, and disbelief, and pleasure, and yet of course she would. No man had dared to approach her in months, perhaps even years…

After becoming familiarized with the girl's extroverted personality, her a little uncommon lifestyle, and an accompanying uncle who looked far too happy and well under the influence, both young adults agreed to share a few drinks. They gave their orders to an amateur bartender, who ungainly and insecurely searched his surroundings for the bar's glasses, while Shinichi's hand sneaked into the depths of his obscure cloak. His fingers touched the coolness of fine glass, and as he did, just for a moment, he grew doubtful of ever using the strange juice. His mind was gaining a different perspective of who exactly Mouri Ran was, and as he gazed at her in silence, finding her so small, so young and innocent, so sweetly gentle, his heart began to race at the very thought of hurting her.

Yet after a century and a half had passed, and their neophytic bartender very carefully positioned two glasses filled with bronze-colored alcohol on the table, Shinichi realized he had very short seconds to either undertake or abandon his mission. Meanwhile Ran continued to look at the dancing townspeople, and was almost two seconds away from turning her head, and ultimately see their drinks. The elf grew desperate from the minuscule seconds he had left to decide, and in between his obligations as a son and the mere madness of the moment, he – without a second thought – surreptitiously slipped the _aphros _into her glass.

Yet suddenly, a bewildered yelp escaped their bartender's lips, and Shinichi's heart sank, for he was sure his mischief had been witnessed. Oddly enough, the clumsy employee began to roar profuse apologies instead, exclaiming with real embarrassment and shame that he'd forgotten to toss and shake the drinks he'd prepared. The elven youth heaved a sigh of relief, though his eyes gradually widened and lungs seized to breathe, as the bartender inelegantly rushed the drinks left and right, up and down, accelerating his pace as much as he could, and tossing them from hand to hand.

After a minute of this ridiculous display, and by the time two glasses were placed before the younglings, Shinichi (with pale-colored dismay) could not tell which glass contained the _aphros _and which did not. But Ran had already animatedly grasped her glass, and with a pleasant smile, she'd risen her drink to amiably clink it against his. The young Kudou's eye twitched uncomfortably as he realized he had no choice, but to happily take the glass before him, tap it against Ran's, and pray to the gods as he gulped down the somewhat sweet alcohol along with his companion.

The two thudded their glasses against the wooden counter, and gazed at each other…

And Shinichi smiled politely as he rose from his seat. "I'm sorry I must leave you… it was wonderful to drink alongside you, Mouri-san."

"Ah, but..!" The girl faltered, and for a few moments an uncommon blush painted her cheeks before she gazed at the young Kudou. "Must you leave already?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I do… Time never waits…" He murmured with a twisted smile, bowing slightly as he began to walk away. "I still hope to see you again some time soon, Mouri-san..! Please take care." Wished the cloaked elf with a smile, walking away and towards the building's entrance doors, as Ran's eyes faithfully followed his figure until it disappeared amidst the crowds.

The adolescent's lips softly curved to form a saddened pout.

Kudou Shinichi stepped out into the fresh coolness of the night, and quietly remained near the entrance as his elven guards excitedly galloped towards him.

"Is it done? Have you succeeded, My Lord?" Inquired one of them after hopping off his horse; a thrilled smile growing on his face as the nobleman – with much indifference – indicated to look towards the interior of the lively building. The guards soon witnessed a very beautiful human girl, smiling while holding an elderly man's arm, whose cheeks were brightly flushed and lips giggled far too much. The elven youth recognized him to be Ran's drunken uncle, though the royal guards were oblivious to such fact, and this Shinichi knew just as well.

"She's infatuated with the old man." He stated as he apathetically gazed at a forest, while his escorts celebrated their victory with triumphant laughs and satisfied exclamations. The guards merrily returned to their horses' saddles, and after a short moment of dissipating chuckles, they gazed expectantly at a royal marquis who remained on the ground.

"My Lord?" Spoke the leading elf once again, waking the young Kudou from his reverie.

"Go on to the castle. Inform my mother on the events… I shall prefer to stay outside for a while longer." He stated as his eyes drifted off to the forest yet again.

"But Lord Shinichi… we were told you are the one to report everything to Her Grace, we cannot–"

"Then head on to the castle. I shall catch up with you." Insisted the young elf, and three noble protectors soon exchanged dubitative glances. Nonetheless, Shinichi urged them not to fear for his wellbeing, and after offering a reassuring smile, the marquis was finally abandoned by three very compliant guards.

Shinichi looked after their fading silhouettes, and with a sigh, he pressed his back against the cool rock of the building. There was a broad crack on the entrance doors, and through that nick he took the liberty of peeking, to discern Ran's lustrous brunette hair and rosy smile.

He just _had_ to blush.

Oh, in what deep, slimy, putrid mud he was submerged this time. What would his mother say now, should she learn that the "despicable" girl had not consumed the _aphros_, but her son instead? How would she react upon being informed that her only son and adoration had fallen in love, and had not only lost his cold indifference to a human girl, but to _her_, out of all human girls.

Yet Shinichi could not ignore the harsh poundings and sprints that his heart performed every time he gazed at the young girl. He loved her so deeply, and doted so devotionally, that he couldn't find the slightest possibility of ever pushing those burning feelings aside. He'd never be able to forget this hot flame.

In the end, he had only one choice…

Of his passion, his mother must never know.

The doors to the party suddenly jerked open with violence, and a female figure trampled her way out as her fists glued themselves to her hips. She looked highly flustered.

"Kazuha." Said girl jumped and recoiled in surprise, though a sigh of relief left her lips once she met his face. "Shinichi-kun! Oh goodness, you gave me a fright! What are you doing here? Have you seen that stupid ahou anywhere? I've been looking for him for half an hour already, and I just can't seem to find him!" Exclaimed the noble elf all at once, fuming in anger and worry.

"Sorry, I haven't seen Hattori anywhere. Listen, Kazuha-san," Shinchi's hands cupped her shoulders with determination, and he murmured, "I need you to do me a favor."

* * *


	14. A Hard Blow of Greek Mythology: Segment2

_You guys have made Rani turn into one happy cookie. xD _

_So here's part two! n.n  
_

_**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** A Hard Blow of Greek Mythology. (2nd Segment)

**Summary:** _Star-crossed lovers__._

* * *

Surrounded by bibulous cackles and off tone singing, and still sitting at the exact location where she'd been left, was a very pretty and very entranced Mouri Ran. And all of her nearby and hopeful amirers, too shy to even approach her yet all striving for her love, were beginning to feel quite dismayed. Because ever since that gentleman had left her, the young girl's eyes had remained gazing off into the distance, and her cheeks inflamed from time to time.

Not good signs for those "hopeful" bachelors.

Ran's reveries were interrupted though, as a cloaked girl with turquoise and interested eyes appeared beside her and slipped a papyrus-like paper in her hands. It proved to be a small letter, simple and not even sealed with wax, yet as she raised her head to question the mysterious woman, she found that she'd departed as suddenly as she'd arrived.

Her attention nonetheless returned to the object in her hands, and with much intrigue, she opened the letter to soon lift a palm-sized vanilla parchment, encrusted with strange hues of lava red, crisp gold, and warm tan. The words _"meet me at the royal trail of blossoms"_ had been scribbled abruptly at the center of the strangely soft paper; a paper which Ran soon recognized to be one of the finest and rarest in the world, once created from the godly remains of dead sirens, and only utilized by blue-blooded families.

Ran's young mind had begun to ponder over this royal object and its unusual message, when quite suddenly, a smooth and divinely melodious voice sprang from the letter and snaked its way into the girl's ear. The voice spoke the most soothing and beautiful of songs to her, and lulled the adolescent's mind to a warm and placid reverie, as it incited her feet to move on their own accord. They stepped their way from her stool and bar, and dodged their path through the drunkenly merry crowds. Fair arms mechanically rose to swing the entrance doors open, and soon after, the young maiden very solitarily sauntered through a vast dirt road in the darkness of the night, with the seductive music being her sole and only guide.

When the lulling in Ran's ear slowly subsided and seemed to extinguish, her little feet had already carried her to the entrance of the Royal Trail of Blossoms—a colossal and ancient forest composed of majestic red maple trees. Yet as she tentatively stepped her way into the crimson-veiled forest, Ran swiftly became conscious of herself and her surroundings. She stammered an uneasy "hello?" as dead leaves sharply crushed under her feet, and her chest merely tightened in fear, as her orbs searched around for any signs of the mysterious author of her letter, yet found no shadow of life.

But it was then when a hand firmly gripped Ran's shoulder, and she spun around with her heart leaping to her throat, and her lungs ready to scream their life out, yet a hand had already covered her mouth and completely muffled her horrified screech. She was pressed against a maple's trunk, and ready to jerk her knee up and forward in defense, when her eyes immediately recognized the sapphire blue that gazed at her from within the shadows of a cloak and hood. She nodded with flushed cheeks as he whispered for her to be very quiet, and took his hand away from her lips while glancing at their surroundings.

"Are you disappointed to see me?" Asked Shinichi with an inviting smile, and poor Ran could do nothing but blush even further, and softly shake her head. "No… not at all…" she muttered with a gulp.

The elven nobleman smiled elatedly as he took her hand in his, and lowly murmured "follow me then!" to guide her through an unmarked path only he seemed to remember, and lead her deeper into the massive forest. The crimson maples seemed to decrease in number, and were merely replaced by green and robust trees, as the young woman and elf ventured further in. Broad branches of imposing trees had begun to intercept the moon's light, and visibility gradually diminished.

It was then when Shinichi decided to speak. "Did you know that this area isn't the actual trail?"

"Of blossoms?" Whispered she. "It isn't?"

"No. The trail begins right there…"

And _there _lay the deepest and most overwhelming darkness Ran had ever witnessed. A forest so abundant in trees, with so much life and vegetation, that not even the very moonlight could penetrate through it. This woodland, otherwise so magnificently rich in flora, at night appeared as a thick and profound blackness, entirely incapable of producing or fostering any light.

Yet a lonesome and beautiful rose escaped from within that black veil, sparkling with dew drops and emanating a fresh sent, as it provided the twosome with a pretty yet small prelude of the natural beauty that lay within that darkness.

"It's an enchanted forest, I'm sure you know." Began the disguised nobleman with a soft voice, approaching the pale rose as he continued to hold the girl's hand. "No season but spring, all year long, with wisteria and musk roses dangling from the trees' branches. Sakura petals swirl and blanket the ground every month. The very air you breathe is sweet with perfume."

A glow formed on the young woman's face from merely imagining his words, and she couldn't help from asking with almost childish excitement, "Are we going there?"

"Yes" said the young Kudou with a grin, and enhanced his grip on Ran's hand, as together they both valiantly stepped into a veil of pure darkness. The air was indeed rich with roses once they entered, yet they could discern nothing farther than each other's faces.

"Why is it so dark?" Whispered the beauteous girl, increasing her hold on her companion's arm.

"Nature abounds here so greatly, the very flowers and trees of the forest intercept the moonlight." Responded Shinichi with a calm voice, which thankfully did not reveal the thrilled rosiness of his cheeks. "You must delve deeper into the darkness, and blindly search for the secret terrace at the center of this labyrinth. You have access to the sky there. Yet we cannot meander through the forest without a light, and should we use one, we'd most certainly be found."

"By whom?" She questioned yet again, and was barely able to distinguish Shinichi's profile as he grinned.

"Fairies. Deaf creatures of the woods with extraordinary sight," he clarified, "their eyes are only defeated by this forest's darkness. So really, as long as a light isn't shone, we should be fine… unless…" his gaze met hers, and with a bit of an amused air he asked, "You're afraid of the dark?"

Ran gulped. "N-no…" Her fingers were buried in his arm, and soon they both noticed she'd entrapped his poor limb in the twine of her arms. Shinichi smiled even further and cocked his eyebrow, inspiring the girl to mumble, "Okay, maybe I am."

"Don't be." He said with aplomb, and paused before whispering, "Wait right here…"

And quite unexpectedly, Shinichi escaped Ran's grasp and left her alone. "No! Shinichi-san, don't go!" Exclaimed the adolescent into the darkness, hearing nothing but her echoing voice, and soon growing so fearful that she reached the borderline of tears. The beautiful girl seemed to suddenly regress, and while trying her very hardest not to cry, she instinctively curled up against an oak tree and waited.

A painfully long eternity of darkness passed, and Ran was startled as a soft object tenderly caressed her cheek, emanating an essence powerfully sweet, like tea. Warm fingers touched her own, placed a solid yet flexible stick in her hands, and did so moments before a low voice vibrated just beside her ear.

"It's a hybrid musk…" Murmured Shinichi very quietly, setting his penetrating gaze on Ran's barely visible orbs, as his hand continued to embrace both the rose and the girl's soft hand. His eyes remained addictively glued to her face. "Can you smell it? Ran..."

He'd heard and felt a sigh, Ran's overwhelmed eyes looked up to his, and she held his gaze for intensely long moments before quietly whispering a "Yes…"

Their breath had mingled for too long. A little audaciously, Shinichi terminated the distance between them as his young lips bonded with hers, and was very pleasantly startled when she firmly pressed back. There was a growing fervency, and mutual dependence in that dark arbor, as with long and well-spent minutes, their hands found more wonders under each other's layers of clothing.

They held no wish to control their shocking yet perfervid emotions. Shinichi's honey-tongued whispers against Ran's lips were enough to destroy any doubts she could've faced. And as they approached the ground even more, pressed like the Earth would suddenly shatter to its core, both lovers resolutely rejected tradition and threw all rules to the floor.

'_To hell with conventions…' _they both thought, refusing to put their growing union to a stop, as the two star-crossed lovers surrendered to that unfamiliar and powerful love that drew them so close, and in so little time.

What they experienced that evening, both emotionally and physically, was a secret only darkness, the earth, and the wind could tell…

* * *

Hours swiftly passed, along with the sighs and obsessive words of love, and Ran's eyelids began to feel heavy as Shinichi in her ear softly sighed, "I shall meet you here tomorrow… Just remember Ran, don't ever use any lights." And very soon, both lovers still tightly pressed, together drifted off to dreamland.

* * *

Shinichi was the first to awake. Dawn hadn't even risen from the horizon once he rose from the girl's soft skin and the warmed earth, so he had to blindly search for his clothes, which were all about the ground. Upon successfully dressing himself, he bent down to place a soft kiss on the lovely girl's cheek, and stood on his feet to commence a swift journey back to the palace. The elven youth wandered through the night, trying to correctly follow the path that would lead him out of the forest, but after fifty meters of walking aimlessly decided it was finally safe to shine a little light.

His hand reached within his cloak, quickly pulling a silver necklace with a fine crystal pendant, and against this glass Shinichi whispered soft words, which drew a deathly pale and ice blue light from the precious gem. With his path now illumined, he glanced back at the direction from which he'd traveled, reassuring himself that the light could not reach Ran's figure, for you see, it is important to note that the kingdom of Beika lay constantly monitored. Countless numbers of royal eyes, buried beneath the ground, disguised within the trees, invisible in the very wind continuously supervised every corner of the towns. Being in the nobility as well, Shinichi was knowledgeable that the only way to blind these sentinels was by enfolding oneself in darkness, and when in the company of his mother's archenemy, this is precisely what he intended to do. Being monitored while on his own was something completely harmless, but if the spying eyes ever found him in the forest, mysteriously accompanied by Mouri Ran, then his mother would be immediately notified, and what would follow later was not worth even fantasizing.

The sylvan fairies commenced their grumbling upon recognizing the handsome youth, and fluttered their little wings home with complaints of his excessively bright lantern. Deciding not to indulge in further delay, the elf quickly strode down his path, and managed to exit the thick forest surprisingly fast. Finding his horse beside the maple trees, he rose on the animal's sculpted back and lightly tapped its shoulder, obtaining a nearly immediate response as the faithful horse galloped at full speed to the Kudou estate.

Dawn was approaching and the world was nothing but cerulean blue, once Shinichi arrived at his home and stealthily hopped off his horse. He passed through the entrance doors, though was considerably dismayed upon seeing his mother waiting for him in the room, with a very scary look on her face that seemed to scream obscenities.

"Shinichi! Where in the world have you been?! I've been waiting for you for the whole night, damaging my brow with furrows of worry, because I have the guards come home with no sign of my only son around! And you were gone for the whole night! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? And why are you so late anyway!" She exclaimed nervously, inhaling and exhaling deeply in attempts to regain her composure, as her son scratched his head while trying to suppress a grin.

"Okay… Never mind that. Sorry. I seem to have lost my cool." Said Yukiko serenely, though her movements were still awkwardly twitchy. "So tell me, what happened? Did you manage to make that obnoxious girl drool over some idiot?"

The phrase sparked a stinging bit of annoyance in Shinichi, though he ignored the feeling, and decided to slip a little white lie. "You have no reason to fret over this girl anymore, 'kaasan. I've been fully successful, and I can assure you, she'll no longer be able to interfere with your prominent reputation."

_Yet all hell broke loose._

His powerfully-beautiful mother started ranting through the room, waking the poor elven assistants from their warm and cozy beds, as she proclaimed to anyone and everyone that _goodness gracious!_ she'd _never _feared some commoner, plebeian, ungracious girl from taking her position as the personification of beauty, and perfect loveliness, and yadda yadda _yadda._ Yukiko couldn't stop from indignantly screeching her rodomontade. Shinichi witnessed the scene with a horrified look, and with an even more horrified twist of his lips, furtively slid his way out to the hallway, gratefully accepting the help of his ever pitying and opportune assistants.

Throughout the weeks that followed this somewhat unusual event, tranquility was considerably existent in the palace, and a very well disciplined routine had been self-established in Shinichi's life. He would wake up at a minute before noon, – the usual – have a light lunch with his father as they discussed the quirky little mysteries marauding through Beika, then read another three books, occasionally meet up with that elven barou Hattori, ignore the she-elves that swooned over him at exactly 7:32 PM, dine some more, to then pilfer some of the day's dessert to carry to the forest later. When his parents wished him a good night, he'd wait five minutes before packing the sweet and stolen goodness, quietly jump from his bedroom's balcony, reunite with his wonderful horse, excitedly gallop to the Trail, and meet once again with the human beauty whose love he still possessed, as the most joyful of smiles reappeared on his face.

Never had Shinichi been as happy as then, and neither had Ran felt such overwhelming feelings as when she was with him. Though she had barely managed to see his face, – for he always wore his cloak's ultramarine hood, and when he doffed his clothes a profound darkness reigned – the sweetly devotional words that he whispered in her ear, and the tender touches that his body dedicated to her own, were so deeply overwhelming that it was no wonder she'd madly fallen in love with him. And onto this obsessive affection they both clung, and merely a few weeks after having initially met, the two proclaimed that together they'd always remain. Two rings were produced by Shinichi, symbolizing their perpetual union, and in the darkness they both wedded, with no witnesses nor parents, but holding deeper feelings than the world could ever romance.

Yet regardless they were no longer lovers, but decidedly husband and wife, their stars remained sharply crossed, and with such misfortune come obstacles too large.

There came a bright and warm spring day, when Ran was cheerfully chatting with two acquaintances of hers. The girls were enjoying the beauty of the afternoon, lying on the fresh grass lazily, when suddenly one of them remarked that she'd seen Ran leaving her house late at night, and curiously questioned her about it.

Deciding that she didn't want to lie to her friends, the young woman admitted she'd been meeting with Shinichi for several weeks already, and after providing specific and innumerable descriptions of the youth, came to confess that they'd secretly married. The two friends were left with mouths hanging in astonishment, and yet eventually, when Ran carelessly and amusedly mentioned that Shinichi insisted on never using lights, the two girls were unpleasantly thunderstruck.

"Wait… why does he tell you not to use a light?" Asked one of them, a queer expression already plastered on her face.

"He once explained that if we use any lights, then we would be seen." Responded Ran lightheartedly, as her two friends raised their eyebrows and shared a mutual look.

"He doesn't want to be seen?"

Ran looked innocently at them. "Why, yes. Because of the fairies that are in the forest."

A _second_ mutual look.

"That's odd… why doesn't he want to be seen by fairies?" Murmured one of them, her eyes large and brow furrowed, clearly worried about this strange man. "Oh my god, what if he…" Added the other girl, and the twosome gazed at each other with melodramatic worry. "What if he's not… you know…" And with a gulp she whispered, "A _normal _man?"

"What?" Blurted out Ran, and her two friends observed her once again. "Oh yes, Ran-chan, just think about it. He tells you not to turn on a light, he's with you in the darkest place on Earth… What if he's taking you to that place because he's afraid of being seen? What if he's trying to hide away from public view!"

"He obviously is!" Added the other.

"Ran-chan," a hand supportively found the beautiful teenager's shoulder, and her friend's face darkened with a dramatic expression. "This is no normal man…" She seriously declared, and sharing an affirmative look with her friend, fixed her eyes on Ran's and said, "Get away from him. He's got to be a monster!"

"WHAT?"

"Yes Ran, it makes perfect sense… He's with you only in the darkness, he doesn't allow you to have a light, he doesn't _want _to be seen! Other than having a most horrible body, why would he want to keep hidden?"

Ran's bewildered gaze darted left and right between the two girls, though her face brightened once more as she recalled a positive truth. "No, wait! I've seen his face outside the Trail! That is how I met him..!

"…Though I haven't yet seen him clearly, or in broad daylight for that matter, I know his face looks in no way like a monster's." Professed Ran with determination, still clearly adamant in supporting her husband. The two girls remained thoughtfully silent, strongly considering what Ran had stated, until one of them spoke again.

"But you know, there are stories of creatures who look like real beings…" She informed with a low voice, "They disguise as regular people under the sunlight, or even at dusk, but when the darkness of night fully creeps in, they cannot hide their appearance anymore, and their grotesque real figures return. And they wolf down human beings..!"

"You're right! I had forgotten about those!" Exclaimed Ran's other friend, who gained a worried and compassionate expression on her face. "Oh, Ran-chan!"

The two adolescent mortals tried their very hardest to convince Ran of the grave danger she was in, and attempted to persuade her in running away from the frightful monster while she still could. Meanwhile, Ran's expressionless gaze swiftly swayed from girl to girl, and she remained deathly silent as she pondered over her friends' words. Yet with every tedious minute that sluggishly passed by, Ran's brow furrowed in worry as it all made sense in her mind.

Fear suddenly struck her heart, and she mumbled with her throat already parched and dry. "Maybe you're right… But…

"W-what must I do?"

After careful thought, the girls told Ran to kill the monster that very night, and that feeding him with a poison while he slept was really the best choice she had.

* * *

Nighttime arrived.

The beautiful Ran was already standing beneath the maple leaves, nervous, with a feeling of dread deeply sinking her chest. A small bottle containing a poisonous elixir was already hidden in her clothes, though she was growing ill at the thought of using it.

Shinichi reappeared at the entrance of the forest, as sweet tooth as ever for he carried a bag full of goodies, and smiling as beautifully as he always did. He took Ran's hand at once, animatedly guiding her through their nightly visited path, under the rustling trees and wan moon, until they stepped into the Trail of Blossoms and darkness ever again tightly enveloped them.

Ran's heart was palpitating with a very swift harshness, and the situation combined with the lack of visibility instigated so much fear in her chest, that she was sure she'd poison the man.

And yet it was then when Shinichi's hand gently touched her neck, his face neared her own, doting and adoring words left his lips, he kissed her cheek, even kissed her lips. Everything was caring, when he used harsher force it was in embracing her, or when he sounded displeased it was through low whines of passion. His movements were gradual and affectionate, Shinichi himself lay in open vulnerability before her, as he hugged her and relaxed against her form, obliviously demonstrating his wild and blind trust. Ran's heart warmed all over again; affection overwhelmed her heart.

She could not bear to kill him… The girl remembered why she loved her husband so deeply.

Poor beauteous Ran nearly felt like crying once he kissed her again, and cursed herself for ever having forgotten her love for this man.

Yet her laments soon burned and fumed away, at the moment Shinichi tenderly lowered her to the warming earth for a marvelous umpteenth time that month.

* * *

A thick darkness.

The sweet scent of flowers…

Hybrid musk.

Soft, rhythmic breathing…

Ran's eyes remained open, her senses concentrating upon her surroundings, while her mind grew wide awake. The hours of overwhelming happiness had passed, perhaps for the best or the worst, as Ran's consciousness and reasoning settled themselves back in her mind. She could hear Shinichi beside her, tranquilly slumbering away, and suddenly a strange sensation of coldness expanded through her spine.

The young woman remembered what she'd prepared herself to do earlier; an immoral, foolish, entirely wrongful act, she told herself. Yet her friends' earnest warnings crept back from her subconscious, and it wasn't long before Ran became worried all over again. As minutes ticked by, anxiety and fear contributed to her growing distress, and awfully soon enough, the lovely mortal girl was sitting on her knees and searching for the poison she'd hidden, oblivious to the grave mistake she was about to commit.

The venom was in her hands, and while sitting before a dreaming Shinichi, both merely clothed by the profound darkness of the forest, she almost immediately grew unsure of her ill plans. With sudden decision, she turned to her bundle of clothes yet again, rescuing another small bottle which contained four tiny and luminous fairies.

Ran's sole desire was to look upon him; take a short and quick peek at the monster, before ultimately deciding his horrible fate.

And that is exactly what she did…

Shaking the bottle with sudden force, the incarcerated fairies instantaneously lit in protest, and a bright and powerful light broke through the glass and invaded the Trail. Ran looked upon her husband, expecting a murderous-looking beast with gruesomely horrible features, yet beheld the most awe-inspiring and enrapturing of figures.

Coffee locks, a marble body, and the calm, divinely flawless countenance of one whom Ran immediately recognized as an elven nobleman; a notoriously and yet magnificently attractive youth, the only child of His Grace, Duke Yuusaku and Duchess Yukiko. Ran pressed her racing heart, moving closer to Shinichi with the radiating container in her hands, still gazing in awe at her husband, when – surely awoken by the light – Shinichi's blue eyes fluttered open.

Instantly struck with a bolt of realization, the elf sprang from the ground to sit upright, his eyes wide with horror as fairies surrounding them began to shriek and yelp in astonishment. Shinichi looked back at Ran, with an expression both furious and mournful. "I told you not to flash a light!"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"No! You don't understand! We must never see each other again!" He whispered emphatically, snatching his clothes with urgency. "My mother has already seen you because of the light; I told you once, there are eyes everywhere through this kingdom! Now there isn't much time. You must go and hide someplace safe–"

"Wait, Shinichi..!"

"Don't search for me."

"No!" But he had already escaped the girl's grasp, and very quickly raced away into the darkness. "Shinichi!" Ran watched his fading figure, which never once looked back, but merely ran faster, and faster…

With a sorrowful caterwaul, she repeated his name into the wind, collapsing in suffocating sobs once the feeling of despondency took complete control of her. She couldn't yet relieve her heart of its grief though; Shinichi had told her to run away. So Ran tried to quickly dress, crying all the while, and soon ran through the darkness of the forest, searching for the exit and the safe path to her home.

Meanwhile, Shinichi had galloped his horse at full speed, and once arriving at the steps of the palace, sprinted through the dew-moistened fields to reach his bedroom's balcony. Upon crossing the cherry garden, the elf lissomely climbed his way up a tree's dark and robust arms, standing four meters above the green ground before making a long jump to his balcony. He strode to his bedroom, wishing with all his might to reach his bed before his mother found him missing, and sneakily slipped through the curtains that shielded his dormitory.

To find his grimaced mother, with a stoic and expressionless gaze that ironically screamed he was in deep, sticky, and soiled trouble.

"You were in the forest, Shinichi…" Stated the elven duchess with a terrifyingly unusual seriousness, as the youth took the second to desperately summon his creativity.

"Uh, yes… I-uh, like to get fresh air." He declared with an unusual cough, and his mother frowned.

"With that insolent human girl by your side, perhaps?"

"Human girl..? Who told you such ridiculousness?"

"The family mirror."

"I told you to replace that old thing."

"I saw you in the mirror with my own eyes, in the company of that conceited girl! And should you insult the accurateness of my sight, our winged and greatest allies of the forest just told me what my very orbs witnessed."

'_Damn those stupid fairies!' _Growled Shinichi mentally.

"Good god! What great grief this brings me! To find that the _aphros _has caressed your skin, that you've fallen in love, that you've prematurely wedded… that impertinent girl…" Murmured the duchess with considerable vexation, pacing to the bedroom's door, to then sigh with a concerned gaze. "Take some rest, Shinichi… You must be overwhelmed with exhaustion."

And with a thud, she left her only son in the lonesome silence of his room.


	15. A Hard Blow of Greek Mythology: Segment3

_You guys are gonna hate Yukiko in this chapter.. xD Don't blame her though! She's just been possessed by my evil plot bunnies.  
_

_**Disclaimer:** **No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** A Hard Blow of Greek Mythology. (3rd Segment)

**Summary:** _"Mouri Ran, I shall make trial of your housewifery."_

* * *

Interminable days had passed.

Poor, beauteous Ran's health was dwindling. Her stomach hadn't consumed any food, yet she simply refused to eat; her throat felt dry, but she was too unwilling to drink; her arms longed for a chest to embrace, and so when alone in her bed, she would weep. Everyone in the kingdom became very worried and sad, because the usually merry and lighthearted Ran, now slouched silently from path to path. Regardless of her decaying wellbeing, Ran would not allow herself to remain still; she searched through every shady corner and street, walking even if her soles acutely ached, and calling out her husband's name.

After harsh days of incessant and adamant investigation, Ran found herself at the steps of one of Beika's elven temples, and suddenly feeling hopeful of finding her husband in its interior, she decided to enter the magnificent hall. Yet in the colossal and elegantly bare room, she found not a single living figure, but a disarray of wheat and barley scattered on the floor. Wishing not to offend the elven family any further, Ran picked the grains from the ground and carefully placed them into ceramic containers, separating them neatly and leaving the marble floors spotless. She was oblivious to an approaching figure, which silently observed Ran's humility with a surprised gaze.

"Oh my god, you're that Ran girl..!" Blurted out the blonde elf with a bandana of laurel leaves around her hair, startling and scattering Ran's wits down the floor. The elven lady was too excited to notice, though. "I _so _heard of your current predicament, pretty one, and it's like, so sad. Shinichi-kun talked about it last Tuesday, and… jeez, I don't see what you can possibly find in that guy."

Ran's eyes widened, "You know him? Oh please tell me, Lady Sonoko, where can I find him?"

"Yeah! I've known him for the longest time! Now let me see… you can find him at his house, of course. Well, the palace of the Kudous, which is right in front of their temple. Know where that is?" Ran nodded. "You just have to go to the temple and willingly offer your services to Shinichi-kun's mother. _Don't _request to see him though."

"W-why is that?"

"Remember that you are on obachan's, I mean, Yukiko-sama's bad side. If you want to see your husband, you'll have to obey Yukiko's orders to the max, be the best you can possibly be, and please her all you can, to make her have a favorable opinion of you. Only that way will she allow you to reunite with Shinichi-kun." Advised the blonde, gaining a dreamy glimmer in her eyes soon after. "Oh, it's so romantic! Your stars are crossed, yet nonetheless you're meant to be, and continue to seek each other until death parts you for good! I shall pray for your safety and happy ending, pretty Ran. Though right after I get this wheat in the storage room—damn, why must I be the ruler of agriculture and boring cereal? I'd rather be the Lady of Beauty; rejoice in attendants powdering me with pretty makeup–" And off Lady Sonoko went, babbling while carrying a human-sized container overflowing with wheat, as she laboriously moved into the Suzuki palace, leaving mortal Ran behind.

Yet the eighteen-year-old didn't waste any time, and she rapidly exited the temple, striding down an empty dirt road while nervously preparing herself to speak to her mother-in-law.

Ran reached the grounds of the Kudou estate after hours of walking, and decidedly yet somewhat anxiously, she stepped into the massive elven palace. The sheer immensity of the royal hall was awe-inspiring; Ran's lips parted as she gazed at long, empty floors of gleaming marble, merely occupied by broad, pale columns which supported the highly distant mosaic-decorated ceiling. Impressive and elaborate doors separated every endless room within the palace, and a pleasant silence reigned as Ran's hesitant steps echoed through the vast, pearl corridors.

Yukiko's form and discontented gaze materialized for the first time, and the young girl's heart skipped a nervous beat.

"What is this? A human girl has decided to prance inside these marble halls, with crocodile tears of spurious apology?" Commented the duchess with eloquent anger; you see, it is also worthy of mention that Yukiko became very coherent when she was truly upset. "Or perhaps the tender wife has remembered the deep wounds she's inflicted upon her husband—now dolorous and sickened with his ivory skin stinging from your maltreatment. Oh, what ingratitude you've displayed! Such malcontent has no available nor suitable kismet, but to bind herself in servitude to her mistress, and through labor, truly demonstrate her loyalty to her husband if she wishes to ever regain him.

"Mouri Ran, I shall make trial of your housewifery." Pronounced the duchess with a somber expression, standing more firmly than ever before witnessed. She demanded that Ran follow her, leading the young woman out the main doorway and through the floral fields of the estate, to the lateral side of the palace where an immense mountain of grains stood menacingly.

"There are seven types of grains mingled in this mound—aliment for my doves. I wish you to separate these grains into their corresponding bags, and make sure you get it done by dusk." Stated Yukiko bluntly, returning to the palace with a sharp turn of her heels, and leaving a despaired Ran before her abysmal task. The poor girl could not even move, nor think, nor speak as she gazed with overwhelming despondence at the collection of barley, wheat and the like; she could feel tears already forming on her tired eyes.

From a closed chamber, not very distant yet not too near, stood Shinichi with a worried countenance, observing his mortal wife with lovesick eyes. He knew the task his mother had entailed upon her was impossible to accomplish, and so with exceptional quickness, the elven youth chose the best option he had to assist her. Pressing his face against the ground, quiet whispers left his mouth which vibrated through the marble floors, carrying along a message to the millions of ancient ants that resided beneath his house. He prayed for them to help his young wife, by lessening the burden that had been inflicted upon her; and indeed, within seconds, millions of ants marched from the depths of the fresh green grass, and compliantly separated the grains into different sacs. With every minute, Ran watched in amazement as the once dreadful pile decreased in size, and within an hour, the task was complete, the bags were tight and sealed, and the wonderfully industrious ants were no longer in sight.

When dusk commenced its fall on the kingdom of Beika, and Yukiko returned from a pleasant dinner within the palace, she was astounded to find a fresh green grass free of grains, and seven robust bags proudly standing on their place.

The beautiful duchess scoffed skeptically, "This is not your work, but Shinichi's…" and after tossing a piece of bread on Ran's way, she returned to the castle with haste.

During the first minutes of dawn on the following day, Ran's eyes slowly and tiredly parted, to encounter an already awake and highly alert Kudou Yukiko.

"At last—c'mon child, get up. Quickly now, I must show you to your next task." Ran awkwardly stood on her feet, wobbling a bit from sleep as she looked at the direction her mother-in-law pointed to. "Do you see that deep, vernal woodland beside the snaking river in the north? In there you will find grazing sheep, possessing strong and beautiful wool as golden as the summery sun. Bring that fleece to me."

And off the obedient girl was, walking across the fresh and aromatic fields of Yukiko's palace, and moving towards the woodland at the middle of dawn. A large amount of time it surely didn't take for her to reach the sylvan area, and with an insecure gaze, she watched the harmonious sheep from afar as she prepared herself to somehow complete her duty. Yet it was then when very unexpectedly, an oddly familiar pair of emerald eyes encountered her own.

Before her stood a girl, youthful as a flower and lively in countenance, with her maple-brown hair athletically tied like a horse's tail, and wearing pale cloths merely useful for aikido. Ran became startled upon seeing her, for she recognized the lady as Lady Kazuha, one of the elven noblemen protectors of the rivers and springs.

Yet she was even _more_ startled when such a royal elf excitedly spoke to her.

"Aren't you Mouri Ran..? The mortal girl with godly beauty… married to Kudou Shinichi."

Ran blushed and could merely nod, as Kazuha slipped a contented smile. "Goodness, I'm so glad to formally meet you! Shinichi-kun talked about you… Are you still being scorned by Yukiko-sama?" Finished the river-elf with a tactful murmur, making a small and saddened groan of sympathy once she saw Ran nod weakly. "That's terrible…" she merely muttered, and with a troubled countenance after some moments, she chose to inquire, "Where were you going just now?"

"I was heading deeper into the woodland, near the shores of the river. I need to take some golden fleece from the sheep grazing nearby."

Kazuha gawked. "What, _now_? Oh no, you mustn't do that, Ran-han, it's suicide! As a river-elf I know very well, that this river floods upon any mortal getting close, and the sheep are lethal should you attempt to approach them. If you really wish to take a bit of their wool, you must wait until noon, when the sun is particularly hot and the sheep must hide under the shade of the trees. When they rest, the lulling sound of the river makes them sleep very soundly, and only then are you safe to approach them. You may take as much of their wool as you wish then." She stated with a helpful smile, and proceeded to carefully inform the mortal girl on the best technique to steal the animals' particularly beautiful fur.

Ran waited until noontime to approach the resting sheep, and upon confirming the animals were soundly asleep, she crept closer to them and stealthily gathered the golden fleece stuck to all nearby bushes and plump trees. With her arms concealed under the large mountain of soft and beautifully golden wool, Ran travelled back to the palace and presented her success to Yukiko, who grimaced unsatisfactorily.

"This cannot be your work either. And neither am I sure that you'll be an appropriate wife for my son, so I shall test you further, and appoint you to another task." The elven duchess moved to a proximate sideboard, fumbling for a few seconds before returning with a small coffer and placing it on Ran's hands.

"You are to go to the underworld and see Shizuka-san. Give her this box and tell her: 'Her Highness, Duchess Yukiko wished that you send her some of your beauty, for she's been caring for her ill son for many days, and has unfortunately lost some of her own.' Be hasty, for I have an important meeting amongst higher elves this evening."

And so with that impossible demand still ringing in her ears, Ran held on to the small box and began her lethal journey. With every step she took, a strange pressure grew on the young girl's chest, and tears welled in her eyes; ever again meeting Shinichi was diminishing into nothing but a bittersweet dream. Her feet carried her to the highest cliff in the kingdom, and from that cliff Ran was determined to jump, and plummet her way down into the blazing underworld as swiftly as nature could allow.

Yet a stentorian voice detained her from leaping.

"Hey lady! Watcha doing out there?" Hollered a dark skinned young man, tossing his _shinai_ and nettlesome kendo helmet to the ground, as he jogged towards the young maiden he'd noticed wobbling before a cliff. Upon reaching her, Ran's eyes widened as she recognized the young man to be a young _elf_—Hattori Heiji, a marquis ruler of the underworld. "No, no! Lady, you're gonna have to step _away_ from that cliff—Do you know what day it is?" He asked with annoyance as a flabbergasted Ran silently shook her head.

"It's _Sunday_. I don't take suicides on Sundays, and I got a kendo match next week so I have to practice. Come back another ti…" the young Hattori's words sharply died down, as his eyes widened and brow furrowed in doubt, to later gape at the young woman in realization. "Hold on a minute here. Aren't you that.. Ran girl?"

"Mouri Ran..?" Suggested the adolescent, and recoiled at Heiji's mirthful shouting.

"I knew I'd seen your face somewhere! Man, it's so very good to meet you! I've heard lots about you, particularly from the rambling Kudou… Wow, so what brings you to the stray paths of Beika, young Ran?" He inquired with a much friendlier smile, though soon began to blink in dubitative silence, to immediately goggle at her. "You.. weren't thinking of killing yourself, now, were you?"

"Nono, of course not! I'm not a suicide..!" She assured nervously.

"So what are you here for?"

"Duchess Yukiko wished for me to travel to the deeper shades of the underworld. She told me to give this box to Duchess Shizuka and ask her to place some of her beauty in it for Yukiko-sama, then I have to take the box back to Duchess Yukiko. I must do all of this before nightfall, so that's why I came to jump off this cliff, hoping to get to the underworld the quickest way."

The marquis laughed, "Oh you'll get there quickly, all right! I wouldn't consider returning, though… No, if you wish to enter the underworld, what you must do is follow this path. Let me show you." The young Hattori took her across a relatively large, tall-grass field, before leading a short way into a rich and deeply forested area. The trees protected both human and elf from the brilliant rays of the sun, though such shade eventually terminated, as the forest abruptly ended to present the base of a large mountain. A dismal cave, long ago carved in the stone, appeared right before them.

"This path will take you directly to my mother (she's the Shizuka you need to see, by the way.) Anyway, through this cave, you'll be able to both enter and exit the underworld without having to die—now, listen carefully. There is a gigantic, ruthlessly homicidal, snarling, blood-expectorating dog in there who will do everything in his power to prevent you from passing, even if that means crushing your head to the rocky ground, and ripping your bones out of your fair skin."

"H-how can I get past him?"

"Just throw him a cracker. After that, there will be a river, and an old man on a small boat right by the shore; just pay him a gold coin, and he'll take you across. Then you just follow the path, which will take you to my mother. And please, just remember young Ran. Do not ever eat or drink anything that may be offered to you there, for if you consume anything, you will automatically die. In addition, whatever you do, **do not **open the box my mother gives back to you. Questions?" Ran shook her head negatively, and the elven marquis smiled warmly at her courageousness. "I knew that Kudou's wife could never be some common girl. I respect you and wish you the greatest luck, Ran-han." And with those words, the youth who knew both hell and her husband so well, departed to the forest from which they'd come, and Ran commenced her journey by striding into the obscure cave.

The girl followed the elven marquis's advice to the letter, throwing the cracker to the three-headed, murderous-looking, growling, and blood-spitting dog, whose heads began biting and barking at one another for all three desired to sniff the cracker. Then she met Charon, the elderly man who compliantly took her across the river after she placed a golden coin on his palm, and through the lifeless paths of the underworld she then walked, to eventually meet a duchess. An elven noblewoman with quite a remarkable beauty, Hattori Shizuka listened attentively to the request Kudou Yukiko had entailed upon young Ran.

With a nod, the duchess left with the elaborated coffer for a few moments, and upon returning, presented the box already safely sealed and placed it back in the mortal girl's arms. Ran declined with as much politeness absolutely all food and drink, and wisely chose to begin her walk back to the living world. She overcame all obstacles that reappeared along her path, and very good-humoredly walked in the darkness of the rocky cave, to soon step out into the shining and lively brightness of the day. Ran's lips bared an ecstatic smile of success as she walked back to Yukiko's palace, and yet it was then when she gazed at the small, elaborate box in her arms. That tiny coffer currently held the magnificence of elven beauty, and Ran was tempted to open it the slightest bit, to just pilfer a tiny and minuscule amount for her own cheeks and neck. After all, she wished to look beautiful for Shinichi, at the moment they'd finally reunite.

Ran's steps slowed to a complete stop, and with a wave of heart-racing excitement, she peeked inside the box. Yet to her great misfortune, she did not find a delightful beauty, but an infernal sleep, which instantly enveloped the girl with its soporiferous arms, and made her tiredly fall to the hard ground.

Poor mortal Ran.

She now rested on the earth making small sighs of sleep, her exquisite and godly beauty still intact, as she lay dead to the world.

Meanwhile at his house, a frantic Shinichi was attempting to rid his window from its spell. He'd just witnessed the sleeping figure of his wife at the mirror he'd earlier cursed, and was determined to escape his marble prison and liberate her from that elven, soporific curse. The enchantment on the lock finally gave way, and Shinichi rushed towards the balcony, jumping to the obese oak tree and immediately sprinting his way through the lively gardens of his home. He called out his horse, who almost instantly came faithfully galloping to his side, and with a pat on the shoulder, both were gone from the palace and dashing to the nearest chain of mountains.

The sun was setting, and a fiery-orange hue currently transmuted the entire kingdom into a world of calid scarlet. Shinichi raced beside a thick woodland, witnessing nothing but trees, dirt, and obnoxious sylvan fairies, and so he tried to accelerate his pace. Almost immediately, though, his eyes spotted his wife's figure vulnerably lying on the ground, some several meters away, and he abruptly reduced his speed and jumped off his horse to immediately kneel by her side. The youth's fingers touched her fondly, and carefully extracted the slumber from her fair skin, while in the meantime, rejoicing at feeling her so close, and witnessing the gentle and rare innocence that her countenance still possessed.

Ran's eyes softly fluttered open, not quite preventing him from continuing his enthralled marveling, for he'd now focused his attention to her equally fascinating blue-violet orbs.

"You're too curious…" Quietly murmured Shinichi as he gazed at the drowsy girl, and Ran could only blush in rosy shame. "I know… You're not one to tell though." She accused with a playfully low voice, her heart palpitating furiously when he responded with a slow peck against her lips.

"The sun is setting and we don't have much time." Whispered the elf as he glanced at the dying sun. "I already placed that hellish sleep back in the box; you just need to send it to my mother before evening falls, like she asked you to. And don't worry about anything else. I promise to take care of everything from here."

"Thank you." Hummed Ran with a grateful smile, receiving a tender one in return.

"Now go." Murmured Shinichi, cupping her waist and helping the girl to her feet, to an instant later watch her sprint to the palace with the coffer securely trapped in her arms. Shinichi hopped back on his stallion, speeding away to Beika's largest and most distant castle, with the fervent hopes of gaining the greater elves' support.

* * *

The marquis had madly galloped into the King's vast lands, and upon striding into the magnificent and embellished halls, explained his and Ran's unfortunate situation to the supreme ruler of Beika. The elder and powerful elf listened attentively to the young Kudou's story, and surprisingly quickly was determined to speak to Shinichi's mother, in an attempt to persuade the duchess in accepting her son and Ran's marriage.

After long and incessant hours filled with _pain_, glass-shattering screams, the madwoman screeches of myriad spells, and other intense and highly testing tribulations, a slightly pale and sweating king had miraculously managed to barely, just _barely_ convince the beautiful and hardheaded duchess that _Yes_: After separating millions of grains, collecting fleece from homicidal sheep, and travelling to and back from hell in a couple of hours, Mouri Ran _was _indeed qualified to spend the rest of eternity with a murderously glaring Shinichi.

And so as a black and faintly shimmering veil enveloped the kingdom of Beika during that summer night, a slightly flushing yet joyous Ran accepted a small elven cup, and eagerly consumed the sweet nectar that was inside. Now Shinichi and Ran could be truly happy indeed, for that little and precious liquid, so deceivingly common in appearance, would make their stars magnetically attract, and provide the young lovers with the perpetual bliss that only immortal elves could ever have…

* * *

_**A/N: **_

_11,984 words._

_O.oU _

_(What in the world is wrong with me..? xD)_

_If you guessed this story was based on the myth of "Eros and Psyche," you get a humongously HUGE cookie!! :D Or keeki! even better. xD  
For those of you who wish to read the original little myth, you can just Google either "Eros and Psyche" or (its more common name) "Cupid and Psyche." It can also be found under the tales of "The Golden Ass." And no, I'm not kidding. That _is _the real name of the book. XD_

_You guys have buttered me up with so many reviews! THANK YOU for making me giddy... n/n _

_'Til nesht time, my peeps!_


	16. The Beginning

_Gomen neeeeee!!!!! T.T I haven't updated in ages, I know, I'm so sorry! Between trips to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and my horribly sadistic teachers, I haven't gotten a chance to write fanfiction for months… ("Damn you Professor Paul~!!!" *Shakes fist at the sky*)_

_Anyhow, this'll be a fairly short, fairly random ficcy that popped out of friggin' nowhere, sprinting in a plot-bunny suit at** 2 in the morning**, hysterically hopping on my bed, clinging to my hair like the importunate and fluffy total brat he is._

_So I hope this will do for Mat49324's year-old request! (And I'm saying that 'cause I just _know _it won't do. xP)_

_**Disclaimer: **__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** The Beginning

**Summary:**

_"I ne'er was struck before that hour_

_with love so sudden and so sweet__,_

_her face it bloomed like a sweet flower_

_an__d stole my heart away complete."_

–John Clare

* * *

Lamps and light bulbs were switched off, long and heavy curtains draped with a dead weight against most windows, and some blankets were urgently tossed between the curtains' gaps. The night's already total darkness was intensified.

And a deathly silence permeated the Kudou household.

Even the most preferred and active room of the house – the living room – where the young family and its visitors chose to dine in, play in, watch television, or simply trifle the day away, now lay coldly mute in the shadows. Both the radio, which usually hummed a variety of melodies through the halls, and the large and glistening television made not the slightest sound. Luxurious chairs remained untouched, a robust ebony table glistened in impeccable disuse, and a clock's lonesome ticking seemed a pounding pulse amidst the silence and inactivity.

It was overwhelming. Like a deep and mighty velvet had drowned the world, its colors, and its sound.

Yet the silence was broken as quickly as it'd come.

Nervous feet sprinting through the long corridors of the mansion abruptly shuffled their way into the living room, thudding clumsily against an ebony table, then a chair, then a dark sideboard, before hiding beside the lustrous last. The party's ragged gasps and excited laughter echoed mirthfully through the room. There was a restrained chuckle, followed by an anxious hush, to then lower into silence.

Quiet yet thrilled breathing resounded.

"Is he coming?"

"Shh, quiet!"

A girl's fingers gripped into a boy's blue shirt, and he stealthily stretched his torso and peered into the hallway with an attentive and examining gaze. The sight of varnished hardwood floors and a tall and curvaceous iron lamp greeted him, with no sign of a dark figure creeping by, nor any suspicious movement of any kind. A nervous sigh of relief escaped from his lips. There wasn't a soul in sight.

"We're good for now." He whispered, hearing a contented exhalation before he scooted further from the corridor to lie more comfortably against the wall.

"I can't believe how fast he is." Expressed his friend, showing a toothy and eager smile. "We should've done this before!"

He grinned. "I know! He was always busy with mysteries, though."

The young girl blinked thoughtfully before looking at her best friend with wide eyes. "How did we convince him to play anyway?"

Her companion shrugged. "I've no clue. Maybe he got tired of sitting all day with manuscripts in his head… or…"

"Or?"

"He only listens whenever _you _ask him for something." He smirked with half-lidded eyes, his eyebrow twitching nervously. "Hey, you should ask him to buy us some chocolate ice cream after this. Might as well take advantage."

"Oh, that's a great idea, Shinichi!" She squealed happily, to an instant later lie tangled in a trap of arms, her mouth firmly pressed against the boy's hand.

"Barou! Shut up!" He hissed, once again stretching to peer at the hallway, this time a little more anxiously, before groaning down at her. "You're always so noisy!"

"It's your fault for mentioning ice cream; you know how much I love chocolate fudge ice cream!" She hissed back, with her brow furrowed and lips tightened in displeasure.

"You don't have to scream your lungs out, though!" Grunted the brown-haired boy yet again, untangling her and himself, and placing her back in her small safety zone, between himself and the tall sideboard. "Just stay quiet!"

"All right, I got it already! You don't have to say it eighty times!" She retorted hotly.

"Well I wouldn't be saying it eighty times if you actually stayed quiet!" Shot Shinichi, just as causelessly angry.

And the spat was on.

"But you are the one who keeps talking!"

"I'm not talking, I'm _responding_!"

"You're not responding or answering a thing! You're just arguing like the total freak–"

"Now if you'd just shut up–"

"–you are, and, and, and _ranting_!"

"–I wouldn't need to open my mouth in the first place!"

"You'd open your mouth even if you were _alone _and stranded in the freakin' middle of the _Sahara_, Shin–" Her words were suddenly muffled as a hand firmly clasped her mouth shut, and she was back in a tangle of arms, her cheek against his shirt.

Yet both children's eyes widened in the darkness and their little lungs seized to breathe, as steps resounded on the second floor, creaking the wooden boards above them. As seconds elapsed, the heavy thuds moved farther away and became somewhat distant, making the silence of the living room thicken with so much tension, it could've been sliced with a plastic knife.

Neither friend uttered a word, made the slightest movement, nor dared to even breathe. Their hands were warm and gaining moisture, and nervous sweat was forming on their backs as they lay entangled beside the sideboard, too fearful to even move.

The wood of the stairs began to groan, and they exchanged an instantaneous glance, their argument now long gone.

"He's coming down, follow me!" Breathed Shinichi vehemently, clutching Ran's wrist as they both commenced their excited dash through the living room, sprinting into the darkness. They managed to dodge all emerging furniture, surprisingly without bumping into them headfirst, though they did lose precious seconds of escape every time they were forced to abruptly slow their pace.

Shinichi led the way, relieved that Ran was so pumped up with adrenaline and running alongside him. They'd escape in no time, he realized with an assured grin. Both children scurried through a great hall and another endless wooden table, sprinting with happy madness until the eleven year-old boy tightened his grip on his friend's hand, signaling her to stop.

They stood by the final wall of the house, beholding two impressive French doors which lead to the backyard garden, and which Shinichi stealthily opened. Slipping out of the large mansion, the two children noiselessly closed the glass doors, and ran across the lush green grass. Walls of bindweed surrounded the entire garden, revitalizing the breeze with a fresh scent of jasmine as Shinichi and Ran rummaged for a possible hideout.

"Let's go over there!" Whispered an eager Ran, pointing towards a dark brick pavilion situated at the terminus of the wide garden.

"No, he'll find us instantly!" Murmured the boy, feeling his chin pensively and furrowing his brow, as he looked at the garden with a critical gaze.

And for some moments he stood there. A young and childish puffy-cheeked face sharpened by a grave expression, boyish large eyes deepened in serious and crucial pondering, making him seem like one odd little man in miniature.

Or a delightfully cute midget; either way.

"I **got** it!" He exploded ebulliently as his friend recoiled a good nervous meter. Beyond the chirping crickets, and the rustling grass, and the brown brick path, and the eight-shaped pool, and just beside the jasmine vines, Shinichi crept with decision into a little arbor. A thin and intricate tree rose above the recess, extending its limbs through the air as if cradling the beauty beneath it, and the grass by its roots vividly flowered with open-armed gardenias and more jasmine. A rectangular silver mat had been placed before them, slightly stained from the rain and dirt, somewhat worn from overuse.

Shinichi gripped its firm Styrofoam and pulled it away onto the healthy grass, instantly revealing a hidden circular Jacuzzi where the mat once lay. An eleven-year-old Ran approached her friend with curious eyes, wondering what mischief his mind could now be up to, as she gazed at the tiny pool—its water a faintly translucent black, gleaming with the reflection of the milky moon.

Shinichi straightened his back and turned to look at his friend. "All right, get in."

Ran blinked, silence reigned, crickets chirped, and in stunned speechlessness her large eyes moved from Shinichi's face to the darkened water, and back again. "Wha—? Me? In the Jacuz— Are—You're serious?"

He nodded, an expression heavy with determination and serious urgency on his countenance, that prompted not the slightest shape, form, chance, or faint possibility for the most speedy of two-second debates. Ran's quick realization of this became visible as a gulp, pale forehead, and quiver on her lips materialized almost instantly.

Her friend could be one tough cookie sometimes.

"But, but the water is dark! I can't see anything inside! What if…" And then her voice sniveled into silence, her young chin trembling in fear as she stared at the pool. Shinichi groaned in annoyance, "What if what?"

"What if there's something in there..?"

Her childhood friend seemed to have switched into Evil Mode, for the moon quickly shone from the depths of his eyes, and his lips smoothly curved and bared a mischievous grin. "You mean, something like a _corpse_?"

"GAH! Don't say that, Shinichi!" Whimpered the girl nervously, feeling chagrined as her best friend laughed his way into the circular Jacuzzi with pleasure, quickly slipping within. Ran soon found herself grinning in amusement as the boy gasped and choked in his own breathing, clearly overwhelmed by the coldness of the water (_'Karma' _a little voice in her head sang victoriously all the while), though he eventually managed to articulate. "Y-you coming in?"

The smile was ripped from her lips like magic. "Are.. are you sure there's nothing in there, Shinichi..?"

"No. As a matter of fact, I'm standing on a couple of legs and an arm. They feel kinda gooey and slimy, and the Jacuzzi's water is actually blood, but other than that it's all cool." He grimaced in vexation. "God Ran, just get in here! Otousan will find us immediately if we keep wasting our time!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh." Mumbled the girl quietly, slipping her legs into the water, to then slowly slide her torso within the pool. A birdlike cry quickly escaped from her mouth as the freezing temperature seemed to creep and fracture her small bones, and feeling even _more _annoyed, she soon groaned between rattling teeth, "I'm gonna kill you for this, Shinichi."

"Yeah, I'm sure you will." He sang lightly, stretching his arm to grasp the silver mat, and hurriedly pulling at it, sliding it back above the Jacuzzi. As the cover sealed the cavity above them, and the darkness within the small pool gradually increased, Ran looked decidedly alarmed. "Wait, what are you doing? What are you putting that thing on the Jacuzzi for? We won't see a thing!"

"Shut up, don't be so loud! I have to put the cover back on, otherwise dad will see us immediately."

"But..! But I don't wanna be in the dark!" Whimpered the panic-stricken eleven-year-old, already holding onto his drenched shirt as if for dear life. "Shinichi!"

And with a rustle against the green grass, and a rasping "_raw-shooo_" against the brown brick, the darkness suddenly shut the world off.

Ran was gasping audibly, though Shinichi's boyish whisper suddenly echoed through the Jacuzzi, "Calm down, Ran. We're just gonna stay here for a while. Isn't this the best hiding spot ever? 'Tousan will never find us." He grinned proudly in the darkness.

Though Ran remained distressed. "This is the worst idea you've ever had! I'm freezing. And wet. And it's dark. And I keep on thinking I'm gonna touch something with my feet at the bottom of this thing."

"You mean, something like a _dead body_?"

"Shut up! Stop being so mean…" Quietly whined the girl, pouting and grunting as she heard Shinichi snickering beside her. There was a sudden metallic whistle, though, as of a door's oxidized hinges turning, and then a soft rustling against spring grass.

"Darn it, I think that's him!" Whispered Shinichi very quietly beside Ran's ear, both unconsciously silencing their breathing and nearly discontinuing their respiration altogether as Yuusaku's steps calculatedly neared the Jacuzzi.

And then there was silence.

The man was most likely watching and surveying the whole garden for one nice, long, and _tense_ moment, where Shinichi and Ran lay wide-eyed and shivering in the water, listening for the most negligible change of breath, or the smallest scratch against cool brick. Both children's ears were most sensitive and alert, their eyes unblinking and large, their little lungs unresponsive.

Leather shoes suddenly rotated and clicked the stone floor.

_"Shhhh–wok."_

Deep steps followed each other in a proud and cool cacophony.

_"Clack–clock, clack–clock._"

And the sounds immediately prompted some overexcited adrenaline, in addition to two children's premature experiences of faux heart attacks.

"Okay, I need you to take a deep breath, Ran!" Suddenly hissed Shinichi, apprehensive as the heavy steps grew stronger.

"What?!"

"Take a deep breath!" He urged, his hands firmly grasping Ran's shoulders, and upon hearing the girl take a breath, he too trapped a large gulp of oxygen in his lungs and submerged both her and himself into the water.

Shinichi immediately pushed her to the very bottom of the Jacuzzi, forcing Ran deeper and deeper and into a circular cavity in the floor, as a gravelly noise began to scrape the ground above them.

Shinichi then glued his hands onto the blue walls of the Jacuzzi, and feeling reluctant to rise to the surface, he tensed and immobilized his body as he stretched above Ran, who gripped the blue cement of the small hole she lay in however she could. A moonbeam suddenly irrupted the pool, gently piercing through the water with glimmering sparkles, and both children glanced at each other nervously. The cover had been pulled off.

An overwhelming, unnerving silence grew. The water stilled ominously. Shinichi remained concentrated, intent on achieving victory in his battle against buoyancy, as Ran grasped the small walls around her. To her misfortune, though, her hands began to slide against the slippery concrete, and regardless of how much she clawed and scrabbled the walls in panic, her body continued to float its way upward, out of the small hole. Small Ran would've been quickly destined to the surface, hadn't a wide-eyed Shinichi opportunely been on her path. Both preteens collided, and Shinichi's hand lost its adhesive grip on the wall for the slightest nanosecond, before it urgently slammed the wall again.

Neither friend made a move, blinked an eye, or wiggled a thumb, as both goggled in freezing shock. A few moments passed by, in which Shinichi remained unnaturally petrified as he pressed the walls, with Ran curled into a tiny wide-eyed ball as her arms and legs clasped his body with deadly strength. As both children gradually managed to recover their floating wits, Shinichi slowly began to push and writhe his way down to the safer, more "otousan-free" perimeter of the pool, taking with him a best friend who looked more like a clinging little rock than a living person.

Ran's back hit the cement, and Shinichi stopped. Now his deep concentration and muscle-stiffening technique were to prevent both his _and _Ran's bodies from inconveniently floating to the surface. Another grating sound resounded from above the pool, and this time even thicker beams of moonlight invaded the water.

The boy's brow creased.

_Otousan sure is taking his sweet time hovering over the stupid Jacuzzi. Why in the world is he still standing there, anyway?_ Wondered his head, and grunted impatiently.

He could imagine the man's expression in such distressing perfection. Squinting his eyes to discern even the smallest ripple of water, piercing the Jacuzzi with his self-assured and conceited gaze, most definitely wearing that obnoxious cocky grin of his…

Oh man. That grin.

That grin made him so_ mad_. It was one of the very select few things in this world that truly annoyed the very root of his hair. That grin had its own life; it's own personality. He could swear it sneered on its own at him, _taunted _his intelligence, cackled on his face. He swore that someday he would kill that stupid…

Yet in an instant (and most fortunately), Shinichi's volatile thoughts wiggled out of the Jacuzzi and fled in a mad, cackling dash around Yuusaku, across the garden, over the bindweed walls, and into the starry night.

A rather unusual, downright strange, considerably unforeseen and wholly unprecedented phenomenon was transpiring in that little pool.

Was there too much chlorine in the water? Was his brain growing needy of oxygen? Was the moonlight playing tricks on him? Maybe his mother put something in his juice. That tricksy—she _was _giggling an awful lot this afternoon…

In any case, whatever the culpable factor was, it was really enjoying messing with his brain.

Because for some strange and inexplicable, clearly unapparent reason, a young Shinichi suddenly found himself strangely and unreasonably mesmerized by the long chocolate twirls that his childhood friend had for hair, and which just kept on swirling, smoothly undulating through the water, swimming rather prettily around her face…

Wait.

What the?

He hadn't thought that just now. No way. It was impossible. Ran was a buddy! Just.. just a good ol' buddy…

Okay, a rather violent, pretty annoying, somewhat bipolar buddy, but she was his _buddy _nonetheless!

So why were his eyes relaxing, darkening and growing richer in color, gaining a bright and quivering glimmer, nurturing a tender expression as they simply and plainly just _looked _at her? Why did Ran's face suddenly interest him so intensely? Almost in an overwhelming daze, he suddenly seemed to detect and observe and discern and learn every detail, however gentle, however minute, of his childhood friend's face. The soft and vernal features of her countenance, every dark and every light shade of blue-violet pigmentation flowing in her eyes, the gentle warmness of her black pupils, the rosy glow of her round cheeks, the vibrant cherry tint enlivening her lips…

He wasn't supposed to look there.

Shinichi's heart trotted inexplicably, blood pumped through his veins, crept through his neck, and burned his cheeks while the image of a lively Ran, with her locks still twirling and dancing around her, mystically played in his darkened eyes.

What was happening…?

Yet before his brain could deem an answer, one of those very tresses suddenly undulated his way, soon caressing very, very softly his cheek and neck. And the sensation evoked a wild burst of bubbles from an already far-too-flustered Shinichi's lips. Ran instantly gazed at him with large eyes overflowing with curiosity, something which caused for Shinichi's cheeks to inflame even further, and for his heart to pound even louder, yet his awed and premature state of infatuation was abruptly interrupted as Ran suddenly goggled in fear, and an extreme and unnatural force seemed to powerfully yank him from the Jacuzzi in a storm of rushing bubbles, raging waves, girly screams, and utter confusion.

Before he knew what hit him (or what snatched him), a young Shinichi found himself dangling above the ground, his feet swinging a good meter above the dark grass as his father strongly held him by the back of his shirt.

The boy glowered.

His otousan smirked.

Ran goggled and eventually giggled.

"Why, you're still quite careless, Shinichi! How do you expect to be a great detective if you're not paying attention to detail? There were so many bubbles rising to the surface, the water seemed it was boiling." Grinned Yuusaku as his son roared a chagrined, "Let me down!" all the while glaring with such hot intensity, he could've turned the cold Jacuzzi into a _real _Jacuzzi.

"Very well! This should be a good lesson on the wonderful laws of buoyancy for you to remember, Shinichi." Suggested the ever-smirking novelist as he returned his sulking son back to the ground, who upon feeling the freshness of grass beneath his feet, crossed his arms above his chest and pouted furiously in an attempt to recover his dignity. Yuusaku glided towards the Jacuzzi and lent a helping hand to Ran, all the while grinning and chuckling and continuing his tongue-in-cheek commenting, and it was then when The Grin reappeared. Surely enough, the Evil One's sudden reemergence would have _probably _sent Shinichi just an annoyed hair away from realizing his murderous fantasies, hadn't the boy (yet again fortunately) been helplessly woolgathering all the while.

His childhood friend had stepped out into the warm spring night; a brilliant and radiant smile erupting from her amused lips, enlightening her face, making it glow lively in the very dark…

It reminded him of the winsome face he'd seen in the Jacuzzi. It had belonged to Ran, his very best friend for _life_, someone whom he played with, and laughed with, and loved to annoy the living hell out of every day and night. Yet quite illogically, in that very ordinary and typically average evening, in the unremarkable quietness of the water, in that simple faint light… she'd looked different. She inexplicably appeared so much more…

Grown-up.

And no longer tomboyish, but girly.

And nice, and lively, and benevolent, and sweet.

And pretty…

Shinichi blushed intensely. What in the world was going on with him?!

"You okay?" Inquired Ran's smooth little voice, her eyes kind, her gaze curious, her posture expectant as she waited for Shinichi to follow her. Yukiko's strident voice was already urging them all back inside, promising a warm and tasty dinner (apparently free of suspicious philters and strange, love-inducing Mickeys.)

(Hopefully.)

"Y–yeah!" Replied the boy, his flush worsening in intensity under Ran's scrutiny.

"Then are you coming? Dinner is getting cold already!" She grimaced impatiently, and Shinichi trotted swiftly to catch up to his friend, both children immediately firing into their characteristic and sempiternal battle of wisecracks, comebacks, and relentless teasing.

And all the while, both friends remained childishly oblivious to the profound and crucial meaning, and the eventual powerful significance that lay beneath Shinichi's nascent feelings.

And to a perceptive Yuusaku's fearfully knowing grin.

Though it's probably better that way…

* * *

YAY! We crossed the 100th review barrier!!!

And YAY! **Bush is no longer president!!!! **:DDD *pours a giant bag of confetti on all her readers and starts throwing fluffy ficcies everywhere*


	17. The Hunt

_My most heartfelt apologies! Though the last two years have been tryingly hectic, and life continues to be overwhelmingly busy to this very day, I'm still the worst updater ever._  
_The story I'm posting today (or at least its first two chapters) was previously published separately from Days of Romance. In the end, I decided to include it in the ever-growing Days of Romance collection.  
__As compensation to my faithful and divinely patient DoR readers—and those who so nicely waited for this fic's continuation for well over two months—I've decided to publish this story in a single submission. This consequently makes The Hunt the longest chapter I've yet to publish, reaching nearly 9,500 words. (I don't know whether I should be happy or appalled… xD) _

_A side note: I chose the word "tragicomedy" and included it in the summary with much caution, so I'm happy to learn someone previously caught it!_  
_For clarification, the definition I used for this word is the traditional one. Comedy initially referred to a story with a happy ending, while tragedy referred to those stories with unhappy endings. __Keep that in mind as you read!_

_And finally, a Warning with a capital W: This story contains profane language and violence, and is thus rated M. Children this may disturb you, so keep away!_  
_No need to worry about sexuality though. That type of literature will come in its due time. Some day. When I feel like embarrassing myself. XD_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own. Quit rubbing it in, you—youuu~! (shakes fist)_

_

* * *

_

**Title: **The Hunt

**Summary:** _A tragicomedy, where the kurozukume are afraid of battling Shinichi in court._

_

* * *

_

SUNDAY

"Why don't we just kill the fucking kid?"

A man with bleached hair and a pungent old hat smirked at his foul-mouthed companion, subtly. A voluptuous woman of even lighter tresses glowered, also subtly.

"I'll blow his fucking brains out, those that he's so proud of," continued the little man. "I'll blow them right the hell out. Two seconds, that's all I need, you just give me two seconds and I'll have the little problem gone."

"And how would you get rid of him without bringing any heat on us, huh, smart guy? We got all the fuckin' cops watchin' us every minute of the fucking day; I can barely take a piss with privacy anymore!" The oldest of the group, normally reticent and detached, had lost his composure long ago.

"Cool it, Korn," crooned the blonde woman.

"_You—_shut the _hell_ up," he growled with bared teeth, before turning back to the stocky man. "I wanna hear it; how are you getting rid of him?"

"I go to his house in the middle of the night…"

"Uh-huh."

"A Sunday night…"

"Uh-huh."

"I use a silencer."

"A silencer. A silencer, he says. Fuckin' genius."

"Wait, wait, hold on! I take it back. I use a knife. One of _his _kitchen knives. That way we won't have any stuff tracing back to us, you see? The cops won't know what hit him! The kid coulda done it himself for all they know!"

"Vodka." An older gentleman beyond the long wooden table, garbed in a silk threaded suit, leaned against a blinded window. The golden rays of the afternoon sun bathed him imperially, his figure becoming nothing but shadow and gold.

"Have you ever considered the consequences of bumping off a renowned, respected, young detective such as Kudou Shinichi, when almost… every citizen in this country knows him to be involved in a court battle against an underground organization this coming Wednesday. And you think that if this young man were to appear dead the night before he's to testify in court, that people will assume he must've committed suicide? Or suffered a premature stroke? Perhaps you're counting on one hundred and twenty-five million people feeling collectively brainless that day to assume that some escaped convict—completely unrelated to us—must've decided to whack him that day, and not for one second will anyone consider an organization of our caliber of having had anything to do with the incident."

A heavy silence fell upon the room, its occupants fidgeting as gentle sunlight transmuted swirling dust into golden glitter. Time seemed to grow weary and slow to a crawl.

And it halted.

The man bit his long cigar, calmly igniting its extremity. He inhaled before puffing a heavy cloud of tobacco, vaguely watching it swirl under the light. The voice which emerged from his lungs thereafter, along with wisps of gray smoke, contained rich and mellow tones which rolled pleasantly and yet commandingly all at once.

"No one is touching Kudou Shinichi. Especially when we're constantly being monitored by the police. I'm not having years' worth of meticulous work blown to bits by your stupidity, Vodka. Either you get it through your head or I'll have a shovel teach it to you. Understood?"

"Yessir, perfectly understood."

The plump man blushed at his hands. All the while, his blond friend glowered icily as the blonde woman smirked with scorn, a veteran sulked solitarily, and a second woman with abnormal make up scowled at the first. Together all produced a picturesque team of soon-to-be-convicted misfits.

"How do we get rid of him, then?" expressed the collectivity's thought the second female, her hair short and hay-like after excessive peroxide. "I mean, we better do something. We can't just sit here, waiting for them to throw us in jail. God knows when we'll be let out!"

"If we're let out at all…" smiled the disdainful woman, earning promising death glares from all around the table.

"We won't be getting rid of the kid. We should persuade him to keep quiet and abandon the case. At least until we can safely bump him off, once we're free from getting any tails from the cops," stated the long-haired man with precision, lacing the long sticks of bone that were his fingers. His glare moved respectfully forward. "Isn't that right, sir?"

The group leader puffed another cloud of smoke, observing his cohort gravely, before shrugging. "Sure, why not."

"Wait. Boss, not to be disrespectful or anything. But how are we supposed to kill him—"

"We aren't bumping anybody." The man grimaced.

"I'm very sorry, I meant—how are we gonna stop him from giving a testimony in court? That kid ain't never gonna let us go. I mean. Unless—do we know a way of bribing him?"

"Bribes won't even be necessary in this case," assured the man. "Gentlemen—and ladies—it seems you're forgetting who you're dealing with. Though Kudou Shinichi may seem all brains and balls to you, and to most of the members of this community for that matter, he remains what he is—a teenage boy. And he'll behave accordingly. No need to blow his brains out, we'll send him a message. A bit of a scare will do. He's a smart kid, I'm sure he'll react. Vermouth."

The foreigner looked up, her expression masterfully impassive.

"There's no time to waste, so he'll need a strong push. An unfortunate accident can always fall on somebody close to him. I'm sure you can come up with something?"

* * *

MONDAY

There wasn't an occasion more beautiful and pleasant for Mouri Ran than morning (or nighttime for that matter), when she sprawled on the profoundness of her bed, nuzzling her pillow to her heart's content. Both the sheets and mattress had softened with long age, granting her a fluffy, deep, and drool-worthy sleep.

From such state of narcotic bliss was Mouri Ran awoken, however, by abrupt and importunate knocking at the front door of her home. Grunting, the seventeen year-old doffed her sheets and shuffled out of her room, rubbing her somnolent eyes as she neared the door. "Who is it?" Her question emerged more like an off-key, high groan than her normal voice.

"It's me."

The teenage girl unlocked and slid open the door. "Shinichi…" she mumbled. "Come in…"

The high school detective looked unusually white that morning. He took off his shoes, stepping inside and slowly falling to the zabuton beside the low wooden table. Ran followed him, finding the wideness of his eyes contagious.

Silently, he presented a newspaper, the front page displaying a photograph of Yamada Toshirou, a reputable lawyer who was representing Shinichi throughout the hearings against the syndicate.

"He's dead."

The news struck Ran with a blow. "W-wha—?"

"He was found at the bottom of a cliff, off the main road to Nagano. His car was burned. Probably from the impact after it fell off." Shinichi frowned at the newspaper article, interlacing his fingers as his gaze grew distant. "There was no evidence of a crash on the road, no pieces of rock scattered, no tire marks… Nothing that could show a car crash had taken place. According to the scene of the inexistent crash, Yamada-san's car took a tumble off the highway and plummeted over a cliff all on its own at four o'clock in the morning." The young detective, considerably matured for his age, chuckled cynically. "This stinks. This stinks of them sky-high."

Ran's eyes were wide. "You think those men in black murdered Yamada-san?"

"I don't think they murdered him, I _know_ they murdered him. Yamada had no business in the middle of the mountains at four o'clock on a Monday morning anyway. The scene of the car crash—or lack thereof—is just too absurd for them not to be involved." Kudou Shinichi leaned tiredly on the table, raking his fingers through his hair as he closed his eyes. His uncharacteristic vulnerability unsettled Ran, tremendously.

"Who will represent you, now? In court?"

"I don't know." He rested on his palm, watching a wide platter and its mount of tangerines absently, before tossing her a dry grin. "This incident doesn't make me the most popular client with attorneys right now…"

Ran observed him thoroughly, deciphering every minute detail on his familiar face. She frowned. "You want to go to court and represent yourself." She panicked when his smirk grew wider. "Shinichi, you no longer have a lawyer and you do not know the law."

"I know it well enough…"

"And what if next time, instead of throwing your lawyer down a precipice, they throw _you_ instead? Just for testifying against them? You should not—you _cannot_ go to court on Wednesday!"

"They'll come after me whether I go to court or not at this point, so stepping aside is no longer an option." A soft smile remained on his face; in all its wry and amiable magnificence. "No lawyers seem willing to risk their lives—I can't really blame them either—so it seems I'll be going at it alone, whether I like it or not." Ran scrutinized him, her gaze growing pensive and distant.

They were sitting in silence, when Shinichi very unexpectedly straightened with a jolt and stared at her, something different in his eyes. His expression became full of consternation. "What am I doing here…" he murmured to himself before springing to his feet and moving towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

He was shoving his foot into one of his shoes. "They killed my lawyer. I don't know what else they're willing to do; I gotta get out of here before they find out I came to the agency. You're not safe around me, Ran."

The girl looked scandalized. "But what are you gonna do? Where are you gonna go? Wait—are you intending on leaving again just because some criminals are after you now? Shinichi!" The young man swung open the door, grimacing as he turned to her. "I cannot pull you into this, Ran. It's best if we go our separate ways, at least until this is all over. I don't want them to lay a finger on you."

Mouri Ran glowered.

And Kudou Shinichi knew he was in for it.

"You are an insane person if you think I'll cease my responsibilities as a friend because of your stupid cases. There is no way I'm putting our relationship—our _friendship_," her cheeks darkened immediately, "in peril because of this. No!"

"We wouldn't stop being friends, we just wouldn't be together as much, for the time being. Ran," he began, seeing her mouth open in protest. "I want to do this as much as you do. But we have no other choice. I'm dealing with psychopaths here, and I can't let anything happen to you, so please, _please_, just do this for me. Just stay home and pretend you don't know me when we're at school, and stay indoors the rest of the time. Please, for your safety."

She frowned. "That's the same excuse you used when you were Conan."

"It's my legitimate concern. Don't open the door for anybody. Walk to school with Sonoko, call her to pick you up if you have to, but don't go anywhere alone."

"And what about yourself, Shinichi?" Ran observed him gravely. "You're asking me to be accompanied all the time, and yet you're telling me to leave you alone for days at a time like this, when that's precisely what those people want. They want you alone. It's certainly easier for them that way." She studied him with a determination only her passion, when ignited, managed to fuel. He turned shyly away from her fervent gaze, feeling himself grow warm.

"If we distance ourselves, perhaps they won't go after you too—"

"They're probably already after me, Shinichi, if that's what they wish. We've known each other longer than a decade, everybody knows that. Just because we don't hang out for three days doesn't mean we suddenly don't know each other."

"Still, there's a small chance you won't be in danger if they don't actually see you with me…"

"That chance is negligible—"

"God, Ran, it's still a chance!" he exploded, his outburst leaving his friend silent. Both stared at each other speechlessly, Shinichi's agitated breathing bouncing off the walls. "I'm willing to take it, even if it's small. I'm not wasting any chances, Ran. If there's a way I can get you out, I will."

She wavered slightly before muttering. "But it's dangerous for you to be alone now…"

"I don't care." He sighed, disheveling his dark hair. Ran watched him with wide eyes, daring to speak no louder than a whisper. "But you're being illogical, Shinichi."

"I don't care either." He grinned, his expression revealing his exhaustion. "I can't be logical with these things…"

The karate captain frowned in perplexity, yet her childhood friend had immediately cupped her shoulders. "You promise me to pretend you don't know me when we're in public for the next few days? And not to call me or anything like that, just completely pretend we aren't—you know—"

"Lifelong friends? Who lived together almost for an entire year?" Ran cocked a vexed eyebrow at the young man, who smiled uncomfortably.

"It's just until Wednesday. You promise?"

She glowered at him, rolling her eyes before grumbling reproachfully. "Fine, I'll do what you ask… you stupid detective idiot. You know, you're really reasonable whenever it's convenient for you."

"Thank you." He squeezed the air from her lungs and grinned broadly, earning a blush from the girl's cheeks. He observed her eyes glimmer brightly, her skin soft and creamy, tinged with crimson over her cheeks; and her hair, a brilliant brown, shined even in the dark recess of the stairway.

Shinichi's heart raced, words he'd withheld for years now severely burning his throat.

The heat of Ran's shoulder trespassed her pajamas and scalded his sweaty palm. He withdrew it, turning to the stairs with a fiery face. _Not yet…_ "I'll see you at school."

The young lady watched him race down the stairs, her cool fingers touching the steaming glow that were now her cheeks.

_What was that all about?_

* * *

LATER THAT DAY

Three men and a woman sat on a living room couch, watching the evening news intently. The voice of an anchorwoman hummed through the screen—the only noise disturbing the apartment aside from the gurgling sound of brewing coffee. Vermouth sucked on the end of her cigarette fiercely, sighing the smoke into the windy night outside the window, before flicking the cigarette's smoldered end to the street below.

"What… the hell?" a man's voice rang out, probably that of the lately profanity-prone Korn. Vermouth rolled her eyes irritably as she glared at the buildings outside.

"Why is the kid not dropping the case? Why isn't he dropping the case? His lawyer dies and he goes to school like nothing happened? Makes no statement? Nothing?"

"That's cold… maybe we should hire him," grinned the chunky man satisfactorily.

"He'd definitely be far better than you, Vodka," Chianti said, much to his indignation.

"Vermouth!" growled Korn hysterically. "Why the hell did you kill the lawyer? Why couldn't you kill his parents or a girlfriend or something, but why his goddamn lawyer? The kid didn't even care he died!"

"I wasn't aware I was supposed to both get rid of the attorney and predict the detective's emotional state of mind after the incident. If you're not happy with the results, why don't you do things yourself?" she sneered before gazing outside once again. She suddenly extinguished her cigarette against the windowsill. "I did my job. Not my fault if he doesn't mind his lawyer dying."

Korn opened his mouth to retort, yet was interrupted by the commanding voice of his superior. "Korn, cool down. The lawyer is dead. I doubt the kid will appear in court without legal assistance, and it'll take at least another few weeks until he can get a new one. All we have to do now is convince him to shut his mouth and drop the case altogether, but we're no longer pressured by time. Nevertheless, we cannot leave this thing hanging for months; we need to get this done immediately." He extended another cigar from his inside pocket, chopping the tip and lighting it painstakingly.

Puffing the smoke, he left the flame of the match intact, watching it quiver between his fingers. Its glow swayed in his darkened eyes.

"Things will have to be a lot more straightforward from now on. I want to see something a little stronger, a little hotter thrown his way. Volunteers?" His eyes watched the stocky man raise his hand eagerly. "Not you, Vodka, you're too trigger-happy. Who else? Vermouth, you go ahead."

"Me?" the woman wondered in disconcert, having forgotten her mask for a brief moment before hastily reapplying it. She smiled uncomfortably. "Hotter, you said, Boss?"

* * *

TUESDAY—3 AM

An autumnal wind blew through the curtains, and stirred the smell of smoke.

Shinichi drowsily opened his eyes, rising to find a silent obscurity, the moonlight touching the wooden floors of his bedroom, and the white curtains fluttering with a strong breeze.

He felt hot beneath his blanket, the long-sleeve shirt clinging onto his skin. In the middle of November?

A vague glow reflected on the hallway drew his attention. The wall beside the stairwell was red, a very light but furious red.

The scent of gasoline fully awoke him.

* * *

Mouri Ran woke with a start. She rose from her bed with her mind soft and asleep, blindly moving through her house, and thus knocking her small feet on every protruding stick of furniture available. Once she reached the front door, she'd encountered two walls, a coffee table, and a door, and had managed to slam herself fully awake.

"Who is—"

"Ran," a quiet voice murmured outside, and her eyes widened as she opened the door instantly. "Shinichi, why are you—?"

"Inside," he whispered yet again, slipping into the apartment and silently shutting the door behind. His hand caught Ran's as she reached for the light switch. "Don't. It's better this way."

The girl gaped at him in the darkness. "Shinichi, what's wrong? What happened?"

"My house was burned down."

Their whispering fell into silence, and for a long moment neither spoke, a clock's hand imperviously echoing in the background. The ticking struck harshly through the sepulchral silence of the apartment.

"It was only my house. The professor's wasn't touched."

Ran watched him in horror. She immediately inspected him, realizing he was still wearing his pajamas. "Were you hurt?"

The question caught him by surprise. "Oh, uh. My hand, maybe."

"Let's wash it up." She guided him to the kitchen sink where water was turned on his right hand. The coldness brought relief to the burns instantly, and elicited a sigh from his lips. He dabbed some water on his cheek as well; Ran noticed his actions despite the darkness. "Is your face hurt?"

Shinichi hummed in affirmation. "I think I burned my cheek a little." He turned off the water. "It's not bad."

Ran grunted, leading him to the living room whereupon she gently pushed him to the couch. The adolescent plummeted on the cushions, reclining on them exhaustedly. His uninjured hand tousled his hair and his eyes fell absently to the ground, all the while vaguely noticing the chattering of his teeth. His breathing was quiet, and yet labored all the same.

Consciousness wandered back into his mind when a hand pressed his chest. Shinichi widened his eyes, increased blood flow threatening to color his cheeks. Ran's palm—small and pale, as he always remembered it—felt his left pectoral and the marathon enfolding beneath it, her gaze warmly profound as it followed her hand to his chest. The moonlight revealed the milky tenderness of her face, mesmerizing him. "Your heart is racing," she whispered.

_"And you're not helping…_" his mind countered.

Her gaze, dark yet lustrous, slowly met his. "Breathe, Shinichi. Deeply."

His lungs complied. Ran's small, warm hand felt and patted him supportively as he sighed in the room. The clock continued its heavy ticking, and appliances quietly buzzed through the somnolent little apartment. In the low lighting, heavenly silence, and Ran's humming he found a lulling comfort.

"You're calm again." Her mellifluous voice flowed softly into his ear. "My mom would like to represent you in court, by the way."

Shinichi's heart skipped a beat. The girl grinned as they observed each other; apparently, she'd felt it too. "Eri-san?"

"I told her what happened. She's been following the hearings closely, like everybody else, and wants to help you. Especially now when nobody else seems willing to."

His gaze fell to his lap, frowning dubiously. "But… I can't—"

"She also told me to tell you she won't take no for an answer." Ran smiled gently, recognizing his concern. "She's a strong woman, Shinichi. And she isn't stupid; she knows what she's getting into. Besides, defending people in need is what she lives for."

The detective frowned, yet a gleam had clearly snuck into his eyes. "All right…"

Ran smiled. "You're spending the night, aren't you?" And she rose before he could respond, moving towards a closet whence she quickly returned with some bed sheets and a large comforter. She opened the sheets and meticulously smoothed them over the couch, soon after spreading the quilt over them. Opening both widely, she urged him to lie in his new bed, and painstakingly covered him once he was comfortable. "Do you need anything? Can I get you something to drink, anything before going to sleep? Oh, pillow!" she exclaimed in self-reprimand, disappearing off to her room.

She returned with her largest pillow, fluffing it under his head. Upon finishing her task, she sat beside him, slowing down enough for her face to reveal her concern. "You sure you're okay? You don't want anything?"

Shinichi smirked, amused for the first time in what seemed days. His childhood friend's inherent consideration for others always lightened him up, even in the dead of night. "I'm okay, Ran. Really. You can stop mothering me now."

The girl glared and blushed, rising to her feet self-consciously. "Fine, I'll stop mothering you. Good night!"

His grin inflamed her cheeks even further. "Good night."

* * *

TUESDAY—4 AM

The engine grumbled off, the leader of the team losing his grip on the Porsche's slim steering wheel. Vermouth threw him a side-glance from the front passenger's seat, as did the other two members of the party. Desolate streets greeted them, and silence reigned in the small car.

"We'll wait for Korn and Chianti," the man announced.

Soon enough, the purring of motorcycles turned the back corner, quickly rolling through the road and slowing to park before them. Two figures clad in black walked the deserted street and approached the car, opening Vermouth's door.

"Jump in the back," demanded the leader.

"What?" The foreign actress watched him indignantly, both engaging in an intense staring contest, before she grumbled her way between Gin and Vodka. The two new members of the group sat on the break and the passenger's seat, slamming the door shut. "Left the roof clean, I presume?"

"Yes Boss. Nothing to shoot, so no rounds left."

"Good." The leather of the seat groaned as the man leaned towards his window, observing the empty streets approvingly. "We should hear the news by tomorrow, regarding what the kid is gonna do. I should think today was more than enough. But, in case burning the nest doesn't bring our little pigeon flying, we'll be paying him a visit tomorrow."

"Visit?" Vodka began to perspire. "W-with all due respect, sir, that's impossible. Cops and cameras will be all over him. We won't be able to get close without getting caught."

The man on the conductor's seat spoke and looked unmoved. "You, Gin, and Vermouth will pick him up and bring him to the store; I want us to have a little man-to-man chat. Chianti and Korn will stay with me. This is only if today's move doesn't work; we'll see how it plays out tomorrow. That's all for now." The door was opened and the partners in crime slowly exited the car, one by one. The head of the group remained in his seat, observing the actress as she walked into the street. His arm stopped Gin in his tracks, and the other sat on the front seat obediently, closing the door and conceding to a private talk.

* * *

He stirred, something rousing him from sleep.

Shinichi blinked in the darkness, confused upon finding Ran nodding sleepily at the end of the couch. The moonlight had changed positions; some time must've passed. "Ran?" he slurred. "What're you doin'ere?"

The young woman started, blinking in perplexity for a few moments before dipping her head, embarrassed at being caught. "I'm sorry…" she muttered, unconsciously curling herself even smaller. "I… I just can't sleep…"

Shinichi observed her, and despite his somnolence, his eyes studied her face with that profound attentiveness so particular of him. He was silent all the while, and Ran blushed under his scrutiny, her heart racing anxiously.

"Come here."

"Huh?" The girl raised her eyebrows.

"Come here." He slapped a slender space next to him as Ran crawled closer. Her cheeks flared when the sheets were opened for her, in the most straightforward invitation she'd ever received from Shinichi, and wisely, she said not a word. The young lady slid her legs underneath the covers, mindful of her oversized shirt remaining over her thighs, and settled on his offered arm with her heart pounding in her throat. November had become a midsummer month all of a sudden.

"I'm not going anywhere…" Shinichi murmured against her hair, producing a monumental blush on the girl's cheeks. The detective nestled closer against her, his breaths then deepening after a long sigh, and the weight of his forearm growing dead upon her. "S'stop worrying…"

Ran gaped in the darkness, amidst rousing breathing, excessive warmth and a masculine scent, realizing she'd really grown sleepless this time around.

* * *

TUESDAY—MORNING

"Shinichi?

"Shinichi…

"Wake up…"

He groaned and opened a single eye, discerning Ran's face, not more than a breath away from his own.

It was inhumane to make someone blush this early in the morning.

"Wake up, you lazy bum. You better get ready or we'll be late for school."

"School?" he mumbled, stretching himself awake as he grunted. "With what clothes?"

Ran grinned, displaying a male uniform scented with lavender and folded neatly on a hanger. "I got my dad's uniform. I know it's kind of old, but I took it to the dry cleaners this morning. Now, look! You can't even tell. It looks totally normal."

Shinichi cocked an eyebrow. "You think it'll fit?"

"Sure! I think it should."

He preserved his skeptical gaze, taking the uniform from her hands and fumbling it. "But don't you think it's kinda creepy? You know, wearing something your dad once wore…" he wondered aloud as he smirked.

He chuckled when Ran glared at him viciously. "I took it to the dry cleaners so you wouldn't have anything to complain about."

"Still, the very thought—"

"Just shut up." The girl motioned to leave the couch when she halted, all on her own accord, and silently reseated herself. She glanced at Shinichi's inquisitive eyes before observing her hands blushingly.

"What? What's the matter with you?"

Ran's cheeks heated even further as she glared at him. "Nothing's the matter with me. I just… want to…" She sighed anxiously, her face a self-conscious shade of crimson. "I want to thank you for coming over last night. I—that was a good thing. I don't want you dealing with everything on your own."

"I wouldn't be here if I had the option," Shinichi confessed with a frown. "But I can't go to the professor's house; if they find Haibara, they _will_ kill her. They have enough trouble as it is. They don't need me there."

She watched him attentively, her expression deepening with concern. "How is she?"

"Rattled to the teeth." He shrugged despondently. "Especially after my house was subjected to arson, but she should be okay once this is all over."

"Did you really not manage to get anything out? No clothes or… anything like that?"

Shinichi suddenly looked away. "No, I—something small, but no. There's nothing I can wear."

"Hm…" She gazed at him gently before patting his unscarred hand. "We'll figure something out, Shinichi, don't worry about it… You should go change into your uniform. I don't want you staying alone at home with those creeps lurking around. I'll be in the kitchen while you get ready."

"Thanks, Ran." He smiled honestly as he touched her knee, the contact burning her cheeks instantly. "O-of course, stupid. Now go get dressed."

For a few minutes, Shinichi stood confined in a small bathroom while Ran stood in the kitchen, microwaving lunchboxes and spilling her worries into a pan of oil. The spatula in her hands poked at hissing scrambled eggs as her gaze grew distant, and though she battled impending woolgathering, her attempts were to no avail.

She thought of Shinichi's house, and remembered how it always had seemed like her second home. Both Shinichi and her had roamed and dashed and snuck around its corners while playing for many, many years. They had rolled down the long stairway as children, engaged in horseplay probably in every room, read stories in the monumental library, massaged pizza dough in the spacious kitchen, and conversed intimately through every corridor. She remembered watching him every summer - his younger, more unreasonable self - plunging from a second story balcony into the pool, scrambling off the water before running up the stairs and jumping once again. And after then, he'd start all over again. It made Ran smile nostalgically.

An old and beautiful house, that had been. It had been Shinichi's house.

And now, it was nothing but rubble and dust.

Ran recalled the poignant sorrow she'd awoken to in the morning, watching how the dark burns scraped across Shinichi's cheek and encrusted on his hand frowned back at her. Both were remnants of a fire that had incinerated his home; so was the profound sleep that had enveloped him during the night. The scene vulnerably sprawled on her couch struck her with such grief, Ran could've sworn her own belongings and her own house had burned down that night.

Yet she always found reality to be much crueler. Her possessions were intact, and his were gone; her face was smooth, and his cheek—so much more beautiful—had been the one scarred that night.

Ran concentrated on the eggs sizzling in the pan, ignoring the sorrow weighing down her chest.

"Hey, you're cooking?" Shinichi grinned behind her as he pulled on his tie, and she smiled, pointing towards the coffee maker. "And there's coffee. You can use some milk from the fridge."

"Are you alright?" He observed her carefully. "You don't look okay…"

Ran blushed and feigned anger. "What are you talking about, I look just perfect! Would you pass me two plates? They're in the—"

"Second cupboard on the right, yes, Ran. I lived here as well, remember?" He smirked as he extended the dishes to her, enjoying her chagrined face.

"You aren't getting any breakfast."

They ate and drank hastily before assembling their lunchboxes into Ran's school bag. As everything was settled compactly, her textbook and colorful folders flashed into Shinichi's view. "What am I gonna do for books and notes?"

"I'm bringing extra paper for you to use and a bunch of pens and pencils. As for textbooks, I can share them with you until you get new ones, and we can make copies of my class notes later. Sound good?"

"Mhmm."

"Oh, Shinichi, I've been meaning to tell you—there have been cops sitting across our street all morning." She frowned as she indicated a white patrol car parked before Poirot, two policemen clearly lounging within. "They were down there when I went to the cleaners."

Shinichi looked unfazed. "Yes, I called Megure last night and asked him to send a couple guys to look after the apartment, make sure nobody suspicious gets close to the agency. I don't want anything happening over here…" He grimaced, before signaling the clock on the microwave. "Eight eighteen, Ran, we're late."

"Crap." The girl shut her satchel and gathered the plates under the sink. She talked over her shoulder. "I still have two things left to do before leaving. You go ahead and start off without me."

Shinichi deposited his coffee mug near the sink, gaping after her rushing form. "But you'll be late."

"Nah, I'll catch up!" she grinned. The high school detective grasped her satchel. "I'm taking your bag, that way you can get there faster. Don't be late!"

"I know!" she laughed, accelerating her pace upon hearing the door click shut. One cup to go and she was done…

Drying her hands on her pleated skirt, she strode past the living room and to the final door of the short hallway. She knocked softly before entering. "Otousan?"

Her father's bedroom was disorganization's secret lair. Most especially since Shinichi's three-foot-tall counterpart had ceased to be. Through that era, the immediate space around Conan's futon could be deemed livable, yet no futon saved this room any longer. She would send her father trash collecting later. "Otousan." The girl rocked him, earning a grunt.

"Otousan!"

"W-wha—!" he rose with a start, looking disoriented. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Morning." Ran beamed at him, and her greeting was followed by seconds of sepulchral silence. Eventually her father woke enough to slur. "What're ya wakin' me up at this ungodly hour for?"

"Ungodly—but it's eight twenty in the morning."

The middle-aged man plummeted to his pillow, throwing the covers over himself. "'M goin' back sleep…"

"Wait! I have to ask you something—something very important. Shinichi's house was burned down last night." The detective's eyes shot open, dazedly gawking back at her. "The what?"

"Everything was burned down by that criminal organization Shinichi's been after. He didn't manage to save anything; he has no clothes, nothing. And he's got nowhere else to go. He came over last night after what happened and spent the night here."

"He _what_?" Kogoro sprang from the bed, his countenance immediately darkening. "Where did he sleep?"

"On the couch, of course!" Ran flushed, watching the ground self-consciously as her father seethed wrathfully. "I'm gonna kill that damn punk, up to no—"

"Otousan." She grasped his shoulder. "Shinichi's got nowhere else to go. He's going to need to stay with us until he and his parents can figure something ou—ah! no! I don't wanna hear it! I will not have Shinichi living in a hotel when this house has plenty of room for him and that decision is final!"

Kogoro growled.

Ran decided to ignore it.

"Anyway, he's still going to school today with me, and I gave him your old uniform because the shop for our school's uniforms doesn't open 'til eleven, but I will have to get him a new uniform today, after school—which means I'll need your help. And we'll have to get him new clothes too; he doesn't have any."

Her father cocked an eyebrow, his patience vaporizing like droplets in a desert. "_We_ are buying him clothes? Are you saying _I_ have to buy that spoiled rich brat some clothes now?"

"Everything of his was burned! He has no money, otousan! At least not until his parents can help him out, whenever that may be." She frowned in displeasure. "Please! You gotta help Shinichi, this is no joke! He truly has no one else!"

The man growled further, his face deepening its glower by the second. He finally sank into his mattress and pulled the comforter over his nose, producing strange gurgling sounds all the while. "Fine, fine, take my wallet." The girl lunged herself at him and squeezed the air from his lungs, grinning happily. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

With an ebullient smile, she kissed him goodbye and dashed out the door, leaving him grumbling. "Stupid conscience…"

* * *

The streets were gelid this time of day.

Shinichi glanced at the sky, a blue weak and wintry and wan, lit only by a sun too low and feeble. What little sunshine could pass was obstructed by apartment buildings, and roads currently lay in the coldest penumbra, their heavily clad passersby stiffly jerking about the city.

With his cheeks burning icily, Shinichi longed for his forgotten scarf—one Ran knit him the previous Christmas, a fiery red one, abandoned in a closet that consumed in flames. The irony was so large it would've been delicious, had Shinichi not felt like barfing.

After further consideration, he recognized that abandoning so many of his possessions had been inevitable. After all, during moments of crisis, thought was limited to the most primordial matters.

Something clicked behind him; a cold solid pressed into his back. "Get in the car."

He froze and glanced at his right. Not a Porsche.

From the conductor's seat, Gin's lifeless, inexpressive gaze bored through his skull nonetheless.

The gun pushed into Shinichi painfully and his back began to sweat in response. He was too far from the agency and three blocks from school—no cops nearby. Glancing at the street, Shinichi found the sidewalks deserted, for the exception of a few people standing near a stop sign.

The low, sonorous roar that thundered from deep within his chest stunned him. "FIRE!"

Passersby immediately jerked their heads his way, yet both a knee and the butt of a gun had already slammed him into the car. He gasped, a pungent hood immediately falling over his head.

The engine started, a large weight sinking the seat beside Shinichi's just as the door was shut, prompting him to throw a heavy kick in the door's direction. The meaty landing and choked gasp indicated his success.

"Cut it out," an Arctic-like voice stated, followed by a gun poking his forehead. Shinichi froze, withdrawing his extended leg, which had surely crushed one or two of his companion's ribs. The gun receded and the car rumbled with movement.

"You dick!" the man next to him growled. Even throughout such unfortunate circumstances, Shinichi smirked under the hood, amused by the pun.

"Don't touch him. Boss wants him whole."

An eerie silence fell upon the car, so instantaneous and unexpected, Shinichi became alarmed. He darted his eyes beneath the darkened hood, desperate to see or hear. Finally he ceased breathing when the man beside him spoke, his voice high and shocked. "What the—!"

Glass shattered, wheels screeched, and yells broke through the car. Amidst the chaos, Shinichi caught the word "girl" barked furiously and his heart sank.

Tugging the bag off, he blinked dazedly before discovering Ran's knee piercing through the window and slamming Vodka's cheekbone. Opportunistically, Shinichi reached for the emergency break, clicked and heaved it, an uproar arising instantly. He never saw the wide-knuckled fist that had emerged from nowhere and flown straight into his face, propelling him to the backseat with a throbbing nose as Ran's leg now smashed the driver's window.

Gin's hand reached for the handgun.

And time very suddenly froze.

Shinichi forgot his bleeding nose; forgot he was in a car, forgot his own name, he even forgot to scream. He only remembered the millions of needles pricking his spine and arms and face, and remembered swinging his leg—so much wrath collected into it—with such power and urgency, everything had seemed slow and heavy. Gin's side had cracked beneath his shoe, and just like that, it was over.

The vehicle spun and shrieked, its passengers shaking like pebbles moments before they crashed into a parked car.

Time passed, indefinitely, before Shinichi blinked heavily, finding himself crushed by Vodka against the door. His hand searched for the handle, grasping and pulling it blindly. The door required a shove for it to open.

Stumbling his way to the street, he was soon caught by his childhood friend, who despite her hyperventilating, offered him a smile and a much-needed shoulder. "You okay?"

He winced, the burning in his nose spreading as he nodded.

"No, your nose…" She yanked a handkerchief from her jacket, the cloth growing scarlet as she pressed it above his lip. Shinichi felt himself gently heat up under her care. _"And you're not helping…"_ his head repeated.

The girl glanced at the car, no movement discernible within. She looked back at her friend, her gaze instantly softening. "You did well in screaming. I heard you all the way across the street. And I remembered what you said, about Fire being better than Help—that was good."

"_I_ could use some help now…" slurred a female voice, startling them. Ran gaped in recognition, observing the actress she'd once admired as Shinichi purposely blocked her from view. The foreigner was frowning uncomfortably. "I bumped my head against the dashboard. Is it bleeding?"

Ran's gaze followed the area she indicated, nodding silently.

"Damn…" Vermouth inspected her bloodstained fingers before turning to watch the two friends. "Sorry about all this, Cool Guy. We weren't gonna do anything to you, though. My boss just wanted to talk to you."

She received a deadpan in return. "Murder. Arson. And finally, attempted kidnapping _just _to have a talk. Right."

"Listen, there's still time for you to drop the case. We don't have to end it like this. You should know we offer very tempting alternatives to court battles with us that I'm sure you and the girl would find very tempting. No?" she crooned with a charming smile, the detective's grimace darkening exponentially.

"Take your vacation packages elsewhere, Vermouth."

A knowing glint twinkled in her eyes as she smirked. "That's too bad. It's okay, though. If you wanna take these guys to court, then feel free to give me a call. I'd be glad to help you out in giving them life."

"Huh?" Shinichi frowned at her, dreading the sly grin on her face. "Wait, how—you're pleading guilty?"

"Nope. I got covered. By the FBI."

"You _what_?"

"They offered me Witness Protection if I cooperate with the case, so I took it."

Kudou Shinichi fell silent and felt ill.

This was wrong…

Vermouth receiving payment, receiving protection, and—most disturbing of all—receiving freedom for information? This psychopath of a woman?

She hadn't even left and he could already envision her back in New York, dressed in red leather, laughing while poking her victims with a scalding iron bar; she was just that much of a twisted freak, Shinichi could tell.

And yet there lay no alternative. Haibara couldn't testify in court instead of Vermouth because if she did, either the police would seek to arrest her as well for having once participated in the organization's activities, or the FBI would throw the Witness Protection on her instead, forcing her to change her identity, emigrate, and altogether disappear. Neither was an option.

In front of the high school detective stood and pranced the only solution—a giddier, more sociopathic version of Goldilocks.

"As part of the deal, I got a paid ticket in business class and a new apartment in the part of town I like," she continued pleasantly, a wide grin baring her teeth. "Can you believe? I even got a new Porsche!"

Never mind. This could _not_ be the only solution.

Passersby crowded around the car, observing the scene with concern as sirens wailed in the distance. The blonde haired woman smiled merrily, sliding a pair of brown sunglasses over her eyes. "Anyway, it was nice seeing you kids again. You enjoy yourselves now that things calm down; get married, have a bunch of kids—that should make your mother happy." She smiled at Shinichi, cherishing the blush on his disgruntled face. "See you. Around."

"American snitch." A boom echoed through the streets, a burst of blood shooting from the woman's forehead before she crumpled to the ground. Ran screamed in horror, gasping behind Shinichi, whose back pushed her against a parked car. People's screeches pierced the air as they realized a crime scene was unfolding in the middle of the street.

The culprit—a man of long, bleached hair—stood behind the woman, still pointing the gun at her. "Foreigners. And their fucking backstabbing. No fucking goddamn honor." His dead, oppressive gaze rose towards them; Shinichi's arm wrapped Ran behind him.

Gin's stare slowly rolled sideways, his limp, inexpressiveness, and silence all strikingly predatory. He turned to the stocky man drowsily groaning inside the car, shooting him in the head as well. The back windshield was sprayed with scarlet as Ran gripped Shinichi's jacket fiercely, her hands shaking. Not a scream nor word emerged from her lips anymore.

Gin turned back to them, his frozen, beadlike eyes unnerving the young detective. They penetrated him with hostility, a stare so invasive Shinichi felt unclothed. His fingers instinctively clutched Ran's back, shielding her closely as his body boiled and froze all at once.

"No honor," the man muttered before bringing the barrel to his own temple. Shinichi gaped and his heart dropped; his legs had begun a furious dash yet a moment too late. The gunshot broke deafly through the street and the body fell limply to the ground, a mass of black clothes and a wave of light blond hair knocked to the asphalt. A small pool of crimson gently began spreading around him.

Gin was dead.

Reclined on the backseat in an awkward writhe, Vodka was dead, unrecognizable by the damage done to his face.

A few meters away lay the infamous actress, motionless, her sunglasses abandoned on the ground.

Shinichi swallowed roughly, the hardness of his throat intact as he watched the corpses and the crashed car. His heart drummed in his ears, screaming that everything was wrong. So very, horribly wrong.

Glancing back at Ran, he found her staring at the dead syndicate members, rendered completely mute. The pallor of her face, as well as the small, continuous tremors of her shoulders became evident as he approached her. "Ran," he called firmly, gaining the attention of her wide and glassy eyes. Almost instantly, they drifted back to Vermouth. "No, don't look down. Look at me. Are you all right?"

She nodded weakly. Shinichi studied her, disliking her scrunched and quivering shoulders. "It's gonna be okay. The police is coming, it'll be fine."

He grew alarmed when her eyes filled with tears and her cheeks flushed. Suddenly, he enveloped her, feeling stunned by how swiftly her body had shrunken with shock and become nearly childlike.

"It's okay. It'll be all right, don't worry…" Kudou Shinichi found himself murmuring, tightening his hold as he heard her whimper. "Take deep breaths—breathe," he told her and himself. "It's gonna be okay…"

* * *

WEDNESDAY

Not the brightest day in Kudou Shinichi's life.

To define matters as clearly and concisely as possible, he woke to a growling Mouri Kogoro who demanded to know why he'd been sleeping with his daughter on the couch (for the second night in a row… yet this detail remained unknown to the prospective in-law, by the very grace of God.) He remembered blabbering incoherently for the longest seconds of his life, where nothing but the inevitability of death awaited him, when Ran saved his life, quite literally. She volunteered to serve as human shield while he dressed for school, and as they breakfasted—this had been her tactic in diverting domestic disturbance since pre-adolescence, and thus far, had proven successful. Shinichi always kept all escape options open, however.

With legs dangling off the building, the young man now sat at the school's rooftop, holding the cold metal railing as he watched the school grounds below. It was lunchtime, and both Ran and himself had chosen to retreat for the half hour, escaping the infernal mob that were their classmates. Teitan had become a hellhole overnight, rumors mysteriously spreading about their cohabitation after Shinichi's home was destroyed, and both Shinichi's fans and Ran's closet admirers were in a furor. Any one of them would've put Sonoko's gossiping skills to shame.

Once they'd dashed out of their classroom, into the cold air and shut the door behind, the world had calmed. Silence was disturbed only by the lulling rush of cool, autumnal wind, with the school fields deserted and maple trees blazing crimson. Despite the coldness of November, the sunlight felt warm, and after finishing their meals did Shinichi more than once catch Ran leaning back and turned towards the light, blinking somnolently.

Peace never seemed to last, however. Not in Kudou Shinichi's life.

The metal door creaked open, a young man with a suspiciously mischievous gaze peeking in. Shinichi sighed, rubbing his brow in resignation. "What is it, Nakamichi? Ran and I aren't honeymooning. Why don't you tell that to the dimwits downstairs and just get the hell out of—eh?" He cocked an eyebrow as his former teammate dropped a newspaper on his lap.

The roguish boy kneeled and leaned next to their faces. "Sorry Kudou—don't mean to disturb your date or anything. Just thought you might get a kick out of reading today's news if you haven't already. Anyway, you and Mouri-san—you have a nice day." He grinned slyly.

Ran glared at the boy's retreating form, surprised to find Shinichi speed-reading the paper with a furrow carved on his brow. "What's wrong? What does it say?"

He watched the gray page blankly. "Well, it—seems—the two remaining members of the organization were found dead early morning."

"What?" The girl leaned over his shoulder.

"The newspaper's not identifying them, but it's not saying anything about a leader. So it must've been Chianti and that old man—what's his name—Kir? No. Korn. _It appears they could have committed suicide_, the article says." He snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if Gin or their boss actually killed them and made it look like a suicide."

Ran frowned beside him. "Why would they? Just a day ago they were trying to shut you up, and now they're killing each other?"

"If they can't shut me up, they better shut up each other." Shinichi looked away from the newspaper, gazing at the school fields somberly. "It explains their actions yesterday. Vermouth had been willing to bail out on her partners, while Gin has been known for being the most loyal member of the organization, at least loyal to the boss. It makes sense to have Gin kill Vermouth and anyone who may divulge information, including himself. Probably just to protect their leader from going to jail."

"And what about their leader? What happened to him? He hadn't been sentenced yet, right?"

"Nope. He's still awaiting trial." The detective scanned the lower portion of the article. "Ah, here it says: _The leader of the terrorist group_—why do they keep putting the word terrorist everywhere?—_was nowhere to be found when the police arrived at the crime scene._ Oh, real informative there. Thanks a lot."

"That means the organization's leader is still walking the streets."

"More like riding a plane. To the other end of the globe. With some lame, fake passport." Shinichi tossed the newspaper to the ground, brushing his chin as he observed the brilliant red maples, before turning to face Ran. She looked pale. "I'm not worried. And you shouldn't be either."

"Not worried—Shinichi, have you gone crazy? What if this guy comes after you?"

"I doubt he will. It seems he's always had patsies do the work for him, and he won't risk his fingerprints for anything. And even when he did have the opportunity to kill me when his team was still alive, he never took the chance. When they burned my home, they could've made sure I perished in it; it would've been easy and the police wouldn't have posed much of a threat to them, but he purposely left the second floor of the house intact so that I wouldn't die. He didn't want to kill me, he wanted to deter me from prosecuting them, that's all." Shinichi observed the newspaper folded between them. "And now, with all his cohorts dead, he can flee and not worry too much about going to jail. After all, the one who committed all the crimes wasn't actually him—Vermouth and Gin and the others did all the work, and therefore there is no direct evidence incriminating him. Living elsewhere, he also doesn't have to worry about me. So as far as our wellbeing is concerned, we'll be okay…

"But I swear…" His face wore a grin, charged with confidence and, oddly enough, a speck of fury. "If I find a single piece of evidence inculpating him of a crime, however minuscule it should be, I swear to God I'll use it and be after him like a mad dog, I don't care where he is. I'll go hunt him down to Togo if I have to. Hell, I'll go to Kyrgyzstan—"

"Shinichi!" Ran glared at him. "Haven't you learned enough about sticking your nose into criminal organizations? They are psychopathic. They could've killed you."

"All the more reason I should pursue him! This person is responsible for murder, arson, extortion, robbery, kidnapping and God knows how many other things. He killed his five closest workers for the sake of saving himself, and I don't care if they were criminals, he doesn't belong in society and needs to go to jail."

Ran observed him thoughtfully, knowing she'd struck a chord. "Searching for trouble will only bring you trouble, though."

"I'm destined to a life of trouble by the very nature of my vocation, Ran. I might as well choose my problems." He chuckled as she groaned and despondently bumped her forehead against the railing. "C'mon, Ran. Does it really bother you that much that I'm into investigating criminals?"

"No. I respect your dedication for justice; if only the world were made up of people like you and my mom, then maybe it would be a little better. But I still don't want you getting hurt, that's all." She continued gazing at him, and did so silently. So attentively did she study his face, Shinichi felt himself grow warm. "Besides, if it really bothered me that much, I would've stopped being your friend ten years ago, dummy." She smiled, observing the trees below them. "I guess I must like mysteries and adventure myself, in the end. Either that, or I'm getting too used to your criminal and corpse-magnetism."

The cold wind flushed her cheeks and her lips reddened with the frigidity of the railing. Her long hair had darkened with the season, and strands whirled around her with a gentle, continuous, and mesmerizing motion as her hands—small and wintry pale—clutched the metal bars. While marveling at her noticeable femininity, Shinichi suddenly frowned at the bandages on her right upper leg, made after her attack to the car's windows, and which had become dappled with a faint, brownish red. He was woken from his stupor once Ran turned back to him. "What was it you managed to save from your house? You never told me."

Shinichi blushed and glanced away, his eyes pensively tracing the ground's irregularities, before they—dark and gleaming—wandered back to hers. "I… y-you wanna see it? I have it with me."

Ran looked surprised. "You do? Where—your pocket?" she wondered aloud as he withdrew his hand from his uniform, his palm revealing a ring. White gold, with a small, light-refracting diamond gently encrusted upon it. "This used to be my mom's. It was her engagement ring."

Ran appeared thunderstruck, observing him and the band with an indecipherable expression. Her eyes widened and her heart drummed a wild, unusual and euphoric beat as Shinichi reached for her hand, so very peculiarly. The warmth of his skin travelled to her cheeks. She couldn't think and yet somehow understood all the same.

"I want you to have it now."

* * *

_A/N: Rani is evil. I blame my evil kitty for influencing me. She truly is evil; just look at her picture, she even looks at you superciliously._


	18. Hm

_A/N: Titled "Hm…" because that is precisely what went through my mind when I read this story. I found it buried in my computer just five minutes ago. I've no idea where it came from, and no idea where it'll go. (sweatdrops)_

___**Disclaimer:** ****__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_  


_

* * *

_**Day:** Hm…

_

* * *

_

Ran was there.

Her hair was loose, something unusual since she'd become a lawyer. It flowed over her shoulder, and over her chest. She wore a turtleneck sweater that fit her nicely, cream colored, it made her even more beautiful.

Her skin was pale and displayed a healthy shine. Her cheeks held a soft rosy glow. So did her lips. Shinichi didn't know whether to blush or cry.

Ran smiled, almost sadly, and her hand above his own moved to his face, a gentle finger slowly brushing his cheek. Her gaze deepened. "You look so young…" she murmured, below a whisper.

Shinichi found strength to smile back. "You look fine."

Ran glanced at him once again and suddenly chuckled. The detective's heart raced when she turned her gaze to the ground, her cheeks flushing with red. "Thanks," she muttered nervously. Shinichi felt pleased. It was a good reaction; a fine reaction.

"How long have you been here?" he wondered tiredly and Ran's gaze turned back to him, her expression becoming dejected.

"Not as long as I wanted…" She glanced at the sheets, and the cut on his cheek. "Your parents called me on the fourth day you were here. Your real parents."

"How long have I been out?"

She crossed her arms over the mattress, observing him attentively. "A week."

He closed his eyes, feeling worn for some reason. And when they heavily opened, his fingers gripped the soft fabric on her arm. He watched Ran's serious face, from the corner of his eye. "Will you stay—for a while…"

The young woman smiled gently, her eyes holding that old glow; the one that had always been his.

"Of course."


	19. The Prostitute

_**Disclaimer:** ____****__**No, the series nor the characters belong to me... Of course, that doesn't mean I can't borrow them, poke them for a little while, and give them some peppermint patties before they go nite nite... and man.. does that feel GOOD! n-n**_

* * *

**Title:** The Prostitute

**Summary:** _… who quoted Kudou Shinichi._

* * *

With heavy eyes, he attempted to discern his surroundings, though a blinding white light engulfed his vision. He squinted, pressing his forehead, feeling it throb.

The lightbulb, hovering above from a thin and long cable, continued to blind him. The silence was deafening.

Where was he?

* * *

_"Ran-neechan! I'm leaving!"_

_"Wait, Conan-kun! Where are you going?" the girl called out from the office desk, watching the boy halt at the doorway. He poked his head back inside, with an adorably broad and honest smile on his lips._

_"Over to hakase's. I'm spending the night there, so don't wait up for me!"_

_And he ran down the stairs before she could reply._

* * *

Something about his grin transformed Ran into a somnambulist that afternoon.

And for the day after as well.

It had been wide with excitement and crooked with overconfidence. His gaze had been determined, and just a little anxious. The typical symptoms that he was experiencing the thrill of an especially good mystery.

Just like Shinichi.

She closed her eyes and wrinkled her brow.

She wouldn't entertain those thoughts again, even though they'd pestered her mind frequently during the past months, and they'd preoccupied her most during the past week. Ever since Shinichi last called, that last Thursday, they had bothered her incessantly.

Mouri Ran opened the detective agency's window, feeling a gust of cool November air flushing her cheeks and ruffling her hair. The sun was becoming orange in the horizon, and the sky was streaked with just a bit rose.

The girl frowned.

It was getting late. Conan-kun had been gone for nearly twenty-four hours, and he had neither returned home nor called. Normally, such carefree behavior from the boy wouldn't have surprised nor worried her too much, though for some reason, yesterday and today felt different. A strange sensation tingled beneath her skin whenever she looked at the clock and thought about Conan-kun, whenever she thought about Shinichi. The feeling that something was about to shatter.

Her worries would've easily been alleviated had Conan answered his phone, though whenever she called him, the tone would loudly purr back at her, four slow times, before the answering machine clicked on.

Every one of her calls went unanswered.

And the weight in her chest became only heavier.

Ran's thumb brushed her cell phone's screen pensively, recalling Shinichi's voice buzzing through it merely two days ago. He said his phone call had been unmotivated, though she knew him and his mannerisms well enough to realize something was up. His voice had sounded stronger, a little more vigorous than normal, as if something of special interest had recently occurred; he sounded like he wished to tell her about it, at least a few times during their conversation, though he always hesitated and ultimately remained silent.

In the end, he said not a word about the case he was involved in, about whatever had truly impelled him to call, though he did make an announcement at the very last moment.

_"Think you can wait for me just a bit longer?"_

Mouri Ran recalled her adopted little brother's grin; how appropriate it would've looked on Shinichi's face during that phone call.

Conan was not answering his phone.

Ran swallowed roughly, before flipping open her cell phone and scrolling down to Shinichi's number, dialing it, and waiting for the call to be answered.

Perhaps he could help in ridding her worries.

The tone rolled on, slowly.

It did so four times.

Six times…

Shinichi's low voice clicked on, announcing a small message before the answering machine's beep resounded. Ran immediately shut her cell phone.

The girl observed the skies somberly, with a brow that was furrowed in worry and lips pursed in growing determination. The day was only getting darker.

* * *

"Someone is calling him."

"Which one of him?"

"This time Kudou Shinichi's cell phone."

"Check the number."

Vodka lifted the screen to his shaded eyes, not noticing Vermouth's frowning gaze, peeking right over his shoulder. She caught a glimpse, and immediately looked at the ground.

_Shit._

"A 'Ran' girl."

The woman scowled as inconspicuously as possible. Her throbbing jugular would've been noticeable upon closer inspection.

Gin almost instantly stopped on his tracks, and slowly turned his gaze to his partner. His eyes, immersed in thought, pierced the stocky man sharply. "What's the surname?"

Vodka frowned at him. "I don't know. It just says 'Ran.'"

Perceptively did Gin's eyes turn forward, much to Vermouth's dismay. His lips showed hints of a smile. "Mouri Kogorou's daughter. She and the high school detective must be friendly." His gaze grew absent, and colder. "He must also know Sherry."

"Sherry?" Vodka looked flabbergasted. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Mouri-tantei is acquainted with Sherry. Kudou Shinichi must be familiar with Mouri-tantei. By process of association, Vodka." He approached the table, opening a case which contained numerous pills. "Besides, it is doubtful that he could've regained that body of his without that woman's help. She must've been working on an antidote to the poison she created. Seeking to redeem herself by trying to undo her wrongs." He smirked, down at the pill between his index and thumb.

_But Lucifer can never return to paradise, not after spurning God._

_Not with a million tears can that happen._

"Looks like her antidote isn't permanent, from what the scientist tells me. The little progress she's made so far will be in vain today, anyhow." His gaze returned to the stocky man near him. "Vodka. The detective may have shrunk already. If he hasn't yet, feed him this pill. Then take him to the examination room and tell him our proposition."

Vermouth warily observed the two men before her.

"Which is?" wondered the little man with suspicion.

"He tells us Sherry's location and we offer him our new drug." His hand pulled a small bottle from his overcoat's pocket; a bottle containing a transparent liquid. "The real antidote I'm sure he's been looking for."

* * *

Mouri Ran dashed through the streets, speeding her pace as the knot in her stomach aggravated.

The skies above her were becoming further tinted in rose.

The day was slipping away; slipping right through her fingers.

* * *

The door squealed open, and both a dark-silhouetted visitor along with an orange light irrupted the room.

_It must be afternoon_, the detective subconsciously mused.

Liquid seeping through his lips and choking his throat interrupted his thoughts. He coughed with displeasure, realizing something had been force-fed to him.

_No… Not again…_ his inner voice whispered, in dread.

It was the last thing he thought, before an all-too-expected pain seared through his muscles and bones. It was the melting again.

Hopefully it would not last too long.

* * *

The white door before her opened, revealing an old man who immediately attempted to conceal his agitation. "Ran-kun! W-what brings you—"

"Where is Shinichi?"

Her posture was straight, her hands curled into determined fists, and her grimace both heartfelt and steady. She was unwittingly assuming her karate stance, and upon this realization, Agasa Hiroshi gulped.

"I-I wouldn't know anything about—"

"Hakase, _please_. I need to know where he is…" Ran bit her lip at the professor's sudden edginess and dubitation. In a rushed whisper, she added, "I know Conan is Shinichi, and I know something's happened to him. You _need_ to tell me where he is—"

"Shh, no! Inside!" The old man urged the girl inside, quickly locking the door behind her.

Glumly did he gulp and immediately gaze at the ground. Hidden were his hands. His face looked doleful, as if he dreaded to speak and break the news to her.

"Shinichi-kun was taken by some men, while doing an investigation. We don't know anything about him at the moment, other that he's alive."

Ran sharply drew a breath and trapped it in her lungs. She shouldn't be alarmed or in shock; she knew just as much had occurred. With a frown, her eyes trailed the ground, feeling her heart race and her tongue fall speechlessly paralyzed.

Agasa-hakase was suddenly at her side, and his hand gently touched her back. "Come, Ran-kun."

He led her to the living room, where a disarray of papers littered the coffee table and couch. It seemed as if a great team of people had stormed through for an intense investigation, and once satisfied, left the place in abandonment. The same chaos had once disordered Shinichi's library, and as she recalled, it had been the boy's own doing; he'd turned the place upside-down after thoroughly researching an unusually perplexing and time-sensitive case, and after discovering the solution, he'd hurried off to the crime scene and left his own home in shambles.

Ran's brow furrowed and her eyes welled.

Thinking of Shinichi had never brought her such sorrow.

Beyond the sofa and the coffee table, and off in the room's corner, sat Haibara Ai upon an office chair. She stared gravely at a computer, transfixed by her perusal, and failed to notice her surroundings as she grasped her chin and read. Her expression looked bizarrely darkened by an adult perturbation.

"They can't find a way to get inside the building," she announced, stiff with tension. "Starling just sent an e-mail saying they cannot get in without putting Kudou-kun at risk. She's asking if there's a method to sneak up on them. But there's no way… A Special Assault Team could never manage to sneak in and take _them_ by surprise…"

The primary school child's voice fell when her gaze rose, and encountered Ran's figure. Her eyes widened, and flitted between the adolescent and Agasa for some moments, her lips parting speechlessly.

She mumbled something incoherent, before her eyes suddenly sparked with fire and articulation. "**H-hakase!** What are you doing?" she hissed, her face contorted with panic.

"A—Ai-kun…" the old man stammered, approaching the girl to offer an explanation.

"What are you doing letting her in? She's not allowed to be here now!"

"But, you see—"

"You know where he is?" Ran interrupted, marching closer and suddenly kneeling before the infantilized eighteen year-old. Ran's eyes gleamed attentively. "You know where Shinichi is?"

Ai blanched in dismay.

"She already knows…" the professor muttered at the girl, sympathetic to her shock. "That Shinichi is Edogawa Conan."

The scientist's wide eyes turned to Ran, and became distant with thought. "He _told_ her?" She furrowed her brow, nearly in agony, as she lowered her head. The glower which appeared on her face was dark with fury, frustration, and fear. Her lips tightened, and she swiftly hissed to herself. "We expressly talked about this. I warned he should not get her involved in any way, most especially now. I _thought_ the possibility of his girlfriend getting killed would be enough to make him smarten up and shut up for once, but… that _idiot_. That emotional _idiot_."

"Shinichi never told me anything."

Ran met the girl's phlegmatic and skeptical gaze, a gaze which she now certainly recognized as older than her own. Their visual connection was broken, however, when Ai turned her eyes to the ground.

"Please…" The karate champion's hand found Haibara's arm, and its hold became a gentle squeeze, startling the smaller girl. "You said they were trying to help Shinichi, but they couldn't? Someone was asking for your advice. You must know where Shinichi is?"

"I…" Haibara Ai decidedly panicked, and suddenly shook her head as she watched the ground. "No."

"Please. You have to know." Ran's other hand cupped Ai's other arm, and she gently pressed the girl, her hold already revealing her desperation. "You have to know where he is! Why won't you tell me?"

Ai remained tensely silent, her gaze fixed to the ground.

"Where is he?"

She was answered with silence.

"Where is he! You have to tell me where he is!" Tears were swiftly welling the adolescent girl's eyes, and her hands had begun to shake the small scientist, as if attempting to transmit her urgency into the girl.

"M-Mouri-san…"

"Somebody has to help him! Please!" Her eyes glimmered brightly, dangerously, passionately, at the pale girl who had fallen silent. "Tell me where he is!"

Tears rolled down Ran's cheeks, numerous, uncontrollable.

* * *

His panting echoed in the white room. Fortunately, the straps around his arms, waist and legs had loosened after his transformation into Edogawa Conan, yet the stretcher now felt disturbingly cold against his feverish skin.

He grimaced.

What was the purpose of testing the APTX on Kudou Shinichi once again? To reduce his minimal possibility of escape? To test the effects of the APTX again, see if they got lucky this time around? Perhaps they intended to administer the APTX day after day, over and over again, until it eventually served its intended purpose.

His weary eyes lowered to the figure pacing around a desk, and widened slightly when the figure turned and stepped closer to him. In perplexity, he watched the metallic needle glisten before his eyes, and shivered upon feeling a frozen wetness touching his arm.

"Kudou Shinichi?"

A voice growled in the room, from a speaker unknown. The shadow of his face suddenly hovered above him, and displayed what appeared to be a small bottle, right before his eyes.

"You got two options. You can either stay in this room, in that puny body of yours, and have us experiment on you a wide variety of cocktails we got laying around… until we choose to kill you off. Or…" He jiggled the container in his hand. "You choose the bottle. This is the antidote to the drug which has shrunk you."

Edogawa Conan's pupils dilated.

"It is permanent. You tell us where Sherry is, and the bottle is yours."

The boy gritted his teeth.

"Of course, with or without the information on Sherry, we're not letting you out of here without a little collateral."

He had seen this type of quid pro quo coming.

The rejuvenated teenager frowned, his heart racing. "Collateral?"

The man smirked, and methodically stepped away from his field of vision as he spoke. "That girl from the detective agency. Her name is Ran. You're lovers?"

Conan blanched at the man's reappearing grin.

"There's no need for me to go into details… about what will happen if a word is leaked about us. I think we understand each other too well for that. Don't we?"

The boy swallowed roughly while lying on the table. His jaw hardened and his shoulders squared involuntarily.

"I'm glad we agree. Now. You think you wanna talk about what you know?" He wiggled the container before the detective's eyes. "Or would you prefer to stick around?"

A shrunken Kudou Shinichi tore his gaze away with a scowl. "How do I know that cure is permanent?"

Above him, the figure straightened his spine. "You'll have to take our word for it."

"Hah." Conan's snort emerged sincerely and with newfound humor. "Right." His somber glare returned to the man dressed in black, and gleamed, just barely, as he analyzed the criminal and the scientist standing beside him. "Those are no decent offers you're giving me, sir, when you cannot guarantee the effectiveness of your product. You've got nothing of value to offer me."

The man pursed his lips. "Take it or leave it, meitantei. Your pick."

"No." Edogawa Conan's smirk would've greatly suited Kudou Shinichi's face. "I will select the second option you gave me. Though I do have a few concessions of my own."

* * *

_Oneechan…_

Haibara Ai's gaze gleamed with tears as she stood in Ran's arms, being held by the girl who so painfully resembled her older sister.

She couldn't do it. Though she understood Ran's pain, she could not succumb to the girl's wishes and consciously, deliberately, place her in harm's way.

Akemi was dead.

She could not bring another innocent person to the organization's long list of victims.

She gazed somberly at Ran's tear-stained face.

"Mouri-san… I…"

"Shinichi is being held in the Kabukichou district of Shibuya, in block 5, house number 9."

Mouri Ran widened her eyes with surprise and Haibara Ai gaped in horror, as both stared dumbly at the old inventor who had spoken.

"But knowing this won't be of much help to you, Ran-kun…" concluded the professor, both his voice and demeanor dispirited. "Already every law enforcement agent has been dispatched to that district, Ran-kun. They're all waiting outside the mansion where Shinichi-kun is in, waiting to begin an ambush. But the men holding Shinichi-kun are very dangerous. No one can get in the building to make any arrests without alerting the criminals and immediately putting Shinichi-kun in danger. Not even the Special Assault forces are willing to do something so risky, at least not yet."

Ran remained silent for some moments. "So basically… the entire police force is where Shinichi's being held… but none of them are doing anything?" Ran stared at the professor, looking nothing less than stunned, as the old man fidgeted.

"Well, they are doing their best to keep Shinichi away from harm…"

Kanto's karate champion gazed at the ground, absently.

She thought of her childhood friend's face, and of the premonitory clamminess of her palms. She thought of the shivers which had run through her spine since yesterday, since the moment Conan confidently left from the apartment, and of the sensation that something would stridently shatter whenever she tried calling Conan or Shinichi.

Kabukichou's fifth block was replete with policemen, who did nothing, as Shinichi remained held in that house.

A furrow slowly creased her brow, her heart raced with fervor, and her eyes gleamed resolutely. Words, loud and strong, suddenly echoed through her head, like a mantra. With balled-up fists, she stood from the ground and turned away from Agasa and Ai, striding to the main door as if on a trance.

The professor looked after the retreating teenager with alarm. "W-where are you going?"

"Baka! What did you think she was going to do?" hissed the small scientist with a fearful anger. "You've allowed her to put herself at risk!"

Haibara Ai observed the teenager march to the main door, as though impervious to any objection or pressure which could've been thrown at her. A fire seemed to light the girl's eyes as she slammed her feet into her shoes, a fire she was sure Kudou Shinichi had fallen for at some point, long ago. The girl's fingers firmly grasped the door handle, and lowered it.

"How do you intend to save him?"

Ai's question brought Mouri Ran from her thoughts, and the adolescent turned her gaze to the eighteen year-old child, her eyes growing firmer when she met the girl's solemn stare.

"I will enter that mansion myself."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

Ran frowned gently. "I don't know yet. But I'll figure it out."

An infantilized Miyano Shiho furrowed her brow, with both displeasure and resolution. "You will not be able to help Kudou-kun if you wind up getting yourself killed. You cannot near that district and least of all enter that mansion brashly. I…" The girl closed her eyes, troubled by the statement which hovered at her lips. "Since you will go, regardless of what the professor or I say to the contrary, I will give you a bit of advice. If you're willing to hear it."

Haibara Ai had gained Mouri Ran's undivided attention.

The girl gazed at her gravely. "There's one way you could enter that mansion. One way that will make you more inconspicuous than any of those Special Assault forces could ever wish to become. But you must follow my instructions. To the letter."

Ran retraced her steps to the living room.

* * *

A heartrending scream roared through the room, and echoed through the hallway, though Kudou Shinichi failed to associate it with his own throat and lungs.

He was on fire.

An unbearable fire, which coursed through his veins heavily and effortfully, which had melted his bones and blackened his vision.

The needle had long ago exited his vein, yet the heat remained. It was overwhelming, and suffocating, and it seemed as though it attempted to bury him alive.

"Now you know the drug works," grumbled a voice in the drab room, confidently so. "Now where is Sherry?"

Kudou Shinichi pressed his feverish forehead to the cold ground, and groaned. The pain was diminishing. The heat, however, still remained. "Don't you remember our deal?" he muttered huskily. "Just taking the antidote isn't enough to prove that it's a permanent one. For all I know, I could turn back into a child any minute now."

"Then what do you want us to do?" growled the man as he stood. Under the faint light, Shinichi could distinguish his face as that of Vodka. "Let you try the drug for a few years, see if it's the real antidote?"

Shinichi winced as his heart throbbed powerfully, and his eyes teared.

It definitely felt like the real drug.

"Forty-eight hours. If after forty-eight hours I am still Kudou Shinichi, then I will agree to the deal." His eyes astutely gleamed as he observed the fat man above him. With that precious time, he might be able to turn things around; he could figure out an escape from his claustrophobic prison.

"Forty-eight hours…" repeated Vodka, his voice seething at the insolence thrown at him. "You sure are high-maintenance, kid. I'm not about to watch over you for two days, whether Boss says to or not, that's for sure." He turned on his heels and angrily slammed open the door. Beyond, in the dimly lit hallway, an older man turned to watch his fat coworker.

"Vodka. We're supposed to watch over that kid at all times."

"Switch places with me, Korn. I gotta get a drink."

The old man scowled. "If he does anything, it's your ass, not mine."

Vodka pensively moved his jaw, before turning back inside the dark and drab room.

Kudou Shinichi observed the man beside him with suspicion, his brow furrowing and eyes widening as Vodka unbuckled his belt. He held the leather strap in his hands, his pants now baggily surrounding his waist.

A sudden scream of pain emerged from the room, along with the sound of snapping leather, and the two reverberations echoed from the room, in unison, countless times for two full minutes. Until the voice no longer groaned and only the sound of the leather, striking its target and pounding the floor, could solely be heard.

Korn watched somewhat pallidly as the fat man reemerged from the door after some time, holding his swinging belt and wiping it clean with a small handkerchief. "There. You shouldn't have to worry about him running away for a while," he stated with a grin, before winding his belt back around his waist and walking down the hallway.

Korn stepped into the room, silently observing the young man stretched out on the floor, apparently unconscious. The wall and ground were spattered with blood.

* * *

He walked down the hallway, feeling satisfied with himself and yet just a little antsy. The workout he'd just given to his arms felt good, though it incited a little energy in him that he found obnoxious, and which he desperately sought to release. Running up the small set of stairs failed to make him feel any better.

Taking out a carton from his pocket, he grimaced in annoyance at finding only three cigarettes left. He removed one as he strode down the hall and stepped out the front door, lighting it as he resolved to stop by the convenience store around the corner to get some more.

With a deep puff, the portly little man marched down the street, determined to make his trip a short one lest the Boss discovered his absence. The store he entered was small and strongly air conditioned, and it was replete with smutty pictures of young women.

As expected of Tokyo's red light district.

The old man behind the counter charged him for his cigarettes, and without as much as a Good Day, Vodka turned his way back out the door, his puffs becoming calmer as he now swung the plastic bag containing his precious nicotine.

His eyes lowered to a small mini skirt, and what was surely a very promising buttocks hidden beneath. Such a sight was certainly not uncommon in the district, though something about it looked…

Different.

Oh yes, very different. It was beautifully curved when compared to the smallness of the trim, exposed waist, and the chest looked big; not plastically huge, but large enough and dew-dropped enough to know that, man, it was _real_.

Vodka swallowed roughly upon noticing he was drooling, and looked at the girl's face. She was young and pretty. All the better.

"Did it hurt?" he asked the girl while displaying his most charming smirk.

She merely glanced at him.

"When you fell out of heaven?" he finished, now baring a grin. Her breasts really were big upon closer inspection, and they really were real. To the extent where they nearly blocked his view of her bare belly button, though with a slight tilt of the head he still managed a glance. Her shirt was small, a little eighties; it was driving him crazy.

The girl turned her gaze to the ground, her demeanor shy.

Now his itching was really getting worse.

"Are you looking for a good time?" He grinned. "'Cause I can give you a mighty good time. A hell of a time. And I got a big one to show a sweet little thing like you. How much you charge, pussycat?"

He touched the girl's soft and bare back.

And unexpectedly, he felt his hand being constricted, with a strength and ruthlessness too bizarre for a small hand like her own.

Now he _really_ liked that.

"For you, I'd pay anything," he confessed to her, and without hearing as much as a peep in response, he led her to the mansion's gate. By the smoothness of her skin, how well-proportioned she was, and her feistiness, he suspected she was a teenager. He rushed her to the door even faster.

_A rare gem to find in Kabukichou…_ he thought with a grin.

Hurriedly did he pull the young woman up the stairway, interrupting her staring of the mansion as he urged her to the second floor.

"This place… is it yours?" her voice, just as young and alluring as she looked, wondered quietly.

"It's my boss's." His grasp of the girl's wrist became firmer.

"But it looks empty. Don't you have any coworkers?"

"They're all downstairs, around the basement. What's it to you?" He stopped in his tracks, right in the middle of the hallway, and unzipped his pants. "Well? You gonna start or what?"

She looked at him with a goggle. "Can we go in one of the rooms? I like a little privacy."

Vodka frowned. "What do you need a room for? There's no one in this floor anyway."

"Please?" she supplicated with a small smile, her voice, though young, becoming mellifluously smooth. Like the steady, quiet, and warm flow of water. "For intimacy."

Desperately did Vodka turn and rush to the closest door, sliding it open. The adolescent girl stepped inside, and he followed right behind her, turning to shut the door.

"No one comes into this room normally, right?"

"No," he grinned, his cheeks quickly getting rosier. "It's just you and me, baby."

Upon turning around, the girl immediately sealed her hand over Vodka's mouth, and powerfully jabbed her knee into the man's gut. He wheezed inside her hand, just before Kanto's disguised karate champion took a step back, and somersaulted her way towards him, her leg striking the man's face with her notorious flipping axe kick.

His head powerfully knocked into the ground.

He was out cold.

A dusty silence swiftly enfolded them, and Mouri Ran's breaths soon became ragged, her face revealing the fear she truly felt. With trembling fingers, she reached into her miniskirt's pocket and retrieved the detective badge.

"Ai-san?" she whispered into it.

"Yes, I'm here. You made it inside?"

"Yes. Everything's okay…" she muttered, her voice somewhat wobbly and unsure as she gazed down at Vodka's snoozing form. "I'm on the second floor right now. I've been told everyone is around the basement, though."

"Who told you this?"

"I… don't know…" Ran frowned at the syndicate member. "A fat man. He's unconscious right now."

Haibara Ai remained silent for some moments, before her mature voice buzzed once again through the badge. "That's where outsiders are taken. While they're held in the basement, syndicate members usually work and stay in the basement as well; sometimes, a few of them are told to guard the hallways. Kudou-kun is most likely being held there right now… probably in one of the two interrogation rooms… probably in the one farthest from the main exit."

Ran drew a sharp breath and her grasp on the metal badge became firmer. She swallowed. "How do I make it there?"

Silence buzzed momentarily. "Go down the stairs," the little voice stated. "Return to the main entrance. Once you're there, at the end of the room, farthest from the main entrance, there should be a set of large double doors. Those will lead to the basement."

Mouri Ran left Vodka snoozing in the small room, and managed to stealthily move towards the stairs, when Ai's small voice buzzed through.

"Once you go down to the basement, stay on the main corridor and for no reason deviate from that path. The room Kudou-kun is probably in is located at the very end of that main corridor; it will be the second-to-last door, on your right."

She glanced down the stairs warily, alert to any sound or figure that might appear. To her fortune, the hall was completely empty.

"Mouri-san, remember. Most of the syndicate members inside that house will be in the basement; one of them is bound to patrol some of the hallways. Be very careful and don't let anyone see you. Remember that you have to be alive and healthy in order to help Kudou-kun."

The adolescent knitted her eyebrows with determination, and one of her hands curled firmly into a fist. Carefully, and as quietly as her red high heels could allow, Ran snuck down the stairs and into the hall, soon arriving before the two large, wooden doors. With a faint tremble, her hand curled around the handle and lowered it, softly pulling back the door to peek inside. It was dark, and sure enough, a set of cement stairs sharply inclined to a dirty brick pathway.

"For your safety, we won't be sending you any messages," continued Ai. "But you can always call us and let us know how you are, when it's convenient for you. And remember, Mouri-san, the badge you're holding is also a transmitter. We're sending your signal over to the police at this very moment so they can track your location and hasten your rescue. Just make sure you carry that badge with you at all times."

Ran nodded steadfastly. "Yes. I will."

"Call us whenever you can. It is the second-to-last door on your right. Stay on the main road."

The transmission was off.

Mouri Ran swallowed roughly, and her hand carefully lowered the door's handle once again. The cement stairs somberly extended before her. Opening the door a bit wider, she took her first step down the stairway, her fingers hovering near the grimy brick wall for balance as she alertly entered the basement. Despite the cool weather, and Yukiko's racy and rebellious eighties clothing, Ran felt not a bit of cold; her skin glowed warmly and shimmered with a very thin film of sweat.

Past the stairs' landing, the path made a sharp ninety-degree turn to the left. Ran's mouth dried, and her breathing became shallower, as she pressed herself against the dirty wall; with a quivering inhalation, she snuck her head around the corner and glanced into the corridor.

It was empty.

The girl breathed once again, and stealthily stepped into the passage, finding her respiration increasing and quieting as she crept closer. The occasional, golden lightbulb dangling from a cord in the ceiling made the dusty basement glow in sepia tones, and the ominous monochrome made her back tingle and her eyes widen with anxiety.

Everything was dusty. Everything looked oppressive. Everything seemed violent.

What would she do if they found her, before she found Shinichi? While dressed so loosely? Her attire was against her; it would not protect her from a physical attack. Her high heels would attempt to betray her as well.

An intersection waited ahead. There seemed to be a smaller path branching off the hallway she was in.

_Stay on the main road_, Ai's indication echoed in her head, and she nodded to herself.

Cautiously did the adolescent sneak her head at the bifurcation, finding the narrower path deserted. Despite its small width, the path appeared to be much longer than the main corridor, with numerous doors rising on its either side.

Ran frowned. Rather than a basement, this place looked more like a dungeon.

She quickly passed the fork and continued down the main road, another ten meters of prowling left before the corridor made another sharp turn of ninety degrees, to the left.

Suddenly did something resound, however, somewhere beyond that turn. Squealing metal and creaking wood, along with a grumble. They were accompanied by hasty steps.

Ran immediately turned on her heels, sneaking into the narrow road in search of a nook. She tried the two doors closest to her, yet found them both locked. With widened eyes and a pale face, she glanced about, finding nowhere to hide.

The man hurriedly strode around the corner, following the main path briskly and grumpily. On his hurried way out of the basement, he glanced into the long and narrow hallway, snarling when he found the place deserted.

"Goddamn asshole… gonna get us both in trouble," he hissed to himself, in fear some coworker overheard and discovered their untimely misbehavior, before turning the final corner and running up the stairs, to march into the main hall.

At the bifurcation, an elaborate metal grille neatly attached to the wall was suddenly lifted. A small, teenage girl in provocative clothing stretched her way out of the ventilation shaft, and with a greater percentage of grime now on her, sprung to her feet and returned to the main road. Now practically running, she hurried down the pathway for the remaining ten meters, and made the road's final ninety-degree turn.

The path was terminated by a distant wall.

Unlike the narrow passage, this one didn't have as many rooms. Ran's eyes followed the doors on the hallway's right side; there were only two; the second-to-last was the correct one.

She hurried to it, and without thinking twice, turned its wobbly knob.

A part of her had expected Conan's appearance. Thus, she was surprised to find what looked distinctly like Kudou Shinichi's figure lying on the floor.

And then she noticed his back.

The girl froze by the door, her eyes welling with tears at the sight of the numerous lacerations on his skin, brightly exposing his flesh. She failed to realize how she was suddenly curled by his side, her fingers quivering right above his back, her tears falling to the blood-stained ground. Hesitantly did she grasp his uninjured shoulder, letting out a whimper as she petted his hair, touched his nape, and gently shook him.

"Shinichi…" Ran breathed shakily, taking his arm, her vision blurring as more tears fell. Gently, she shook him. "Shinichi… wake up…"

The detective's brow furrowed, gravely, before his eyes fluttered open. Dazedly did he gaze at the figure hovering above him, as he realized the foggy silhouette hadn't presented itself to him before.

_It belongs to a woman_, he noticed. Her hazy hands were touching his shoulders, with a tenderness unusual and remarkable.

Now did Shinichi focus his bemused vision.

And as the image sharpened, slowly into the figure of an adolescent girl, his heart dropped.

Before him was an unlikely sight. Ran, pallid and anxious, tearful, offered him a small yet unbelievably supportive smile. Her warm hand touched his shoulder, and his hair, as her eyes gleamed with tears. Despite the grimy and dim surroundings, despite the dusty sweat smearing her nose and cheeks, Ran looked indescribably beautiful to him then.

Very quickly did Shinichi grow pale.

"Ran…" he breathed, slowly rising to his knees with the girl's help. She smiled at him while drying her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you out."

"Why…" Kudou Shinichi frowned, his hand curling around Ran's arm. The girl stiffened at the touch.

"W-what…"

"Why did you…" He seemed to be muttering at himself. "Just what are you doing…"

Once her stupefaction subsided, Mouri Ran's expression transformed into a resolved frown. "I came to get you out."

"What's wrong with you?" Shinichi suddenly whispered at her, glowering, his hands attempting to squeeze some sense into her. "This is no place for you! Why are you doing this? Why do you think I never tell you what's going on or where I am? It's because I don't want you coming here and getting yourself involved! Yet that's the very first thing you do!"

"You're in no position to reject my help now, Shinichi!" she reproached him, glancing at his bare torso and the bleak room they were in.

Kudou Shinichi frowned resolutely. He clasped Ran's hand as he staggered to his feet. "I'm getting you out of here."

"Hey, didn't you say it yourself? That a reason is never necessary when it comes to helping someone in need? And you said this too!" Ran continued, her face a fiery crimson. "That zero is where everything starts and that nothing would ever be born or achieved without it! That's why you need my help if you want to ever get out of here, whether you like it or not!"

Shinichi stared at her, in an all-out stupor, as the girl decidedly ignited into flames and seemed to be melting from her own outburst.

Kudou Shinichi blushed. Had that been a confession?

He had little time to wonder about it, as he noticed how Ran's soft, glowing skin contrasted so sharply with the gloomy oppressiveness of their surroundings. The disparity disturbed him, and he clasped a blushing Ran's hand as his brow tensed, his gaze showing his rediscovered tenacity. "I'm getting you out of here."

"You're getting _me_ out?" Mouri Ran muttered with a glare. And yet a part of her smiled, fondly and knowingly, upon finding that his statement—their statement—had apparently proven truthful. Perhaps zero—love—really was the start to all things.

Ran failed to notice that Shinichi had been staring at her, his face a bright crimson as he looked at her shirt, and back at her face, and then at her denim miniskirt, and back at her face, looking both very delighted and very appalled.

"What are you wearing?"

Ran's cheeks burned with nervousness and shame, before the door slammed wide open, revealing a disgruntled Korn holding a Colt Python. Without a moment's thought, Shinichi instinctively slid in front of Ran, and Korn impulsively fired his gun.

"NO!"

The impact of the bullet propelled the detective to Ran's chest. Instantly did he crumple to the ground, and while in her embrace, he held his breath in shock as he shielded his stomach.

Korn stood in the doorway, panting, his unruly hair standing in the air as he fumbled with the Python and pulled out the barrel, ensuring at least two more bullets remained. Indeed, there they were. "All right, you! Get away from him. To the wall!" he barked breathlessly as he waved the gun at Ran, precariously so. His hold on the revolver, though slightly shaky, remained firm; it was moments like these when the man wished to be half a block away, holding his sniper rifle. "I'll be damned if you knock me out too."

Ran yelled out in panic and Shinichi goggled when the gun fired, pounding their eardrums fiercely. The shot echoed, even as the Python crashed to the ground, even as Korn fell to his knees while grunting and grasping his shoulder in pain. Behind him, the figure of the easily recognizable Vermouth stood, in her black clothing, holding a black bag tightly to her chest.

Her heels clicked as she strode inside, kicked the Python away from Korn, and resumed her aim. This time at Korn's head.

"No! Please!"

Mouri Ran was beside her in an instant, her young hands outstretched as her sincere face supplicated her to stop. Vineyard's heart raced. She had seen this once, even twice; it all remained well beyond the woman's comprehension. "He was going to kill you. And he'll do it again, if he gets that chance."

"Please…" Ran beseeched her quietly.

Vermouth's eyes turned to Kudou Shinichi, who sat curled upon the ground, his breaths soft and rushed. Solemn and supportive was his gaze as he looked at Ran.

"Goddamn…" Vermouth sighed, her expression revealing her feelings of both reverence and exasperation, as she put the gun's safety back on. With the butt of the revolver, she sharply slammed the back of Korn's head to sleep, glowering when the girl beside her recoiled. "C'mon, we don't need him conscious around here. He'll wake up soon anyway."

She surveyed the hallway, ensuring its desolation. Upon turning her gaze back into the interrogation room, she observed Mouri Ran kneeling beside the high school detective, preoccupation etched on her face.

"I was expecting you, Angel… you never fail me," the woman whispered with a smirk, cherishing the confusion on the adolescents' faces. "But I might not be the only one who foresaw your visit. So we better hurry. He might come any moment now," she muttered, glancing at the hallway once again.

With the support of Ran's shoulder, Shinichi slowly and strenuously staggered to his feet, wincing at the acute pain which pierced his abdomen. Ran's hold on him became firmer then, despite she herself paled at the sight of his blood, coating his stomach with a disturbing shade of scarlet.

The woman beckoned them to the door, and soon, the unlikely company stepped out into the sepia-toned hallway, Vermouth anxiously leading the way as Ran supported the weight of a lurching Kudou Shinichi. They managed to make it past the corner, and began to approach the expected fork.

"Ran…" Shinichi breathed into the girl's ear, raggedly. "Is this… the right way?"

From beneath his arm, she nodded. "I used this road to get here."

A sound of cloth brushing against metal, and that of a wooden door being creaked open, emerged somewhere behind them. Vermouth's eyes widened.

_He used the chute from the third floor._

"Quick, go down this road," she whispered at the teenagers with sudden desperation. "Take the stairs at the end and get out of here. Take this with you. Just take it." She extended her black bag to them, which Ran hesitantly accepted. "And this too." Her hands presented the Magnum revolver.

"Keep it," Shinichi grunted, and despite his ashen exhaustion, managed a smirk. "I stole the Colt Python."

Vermouth nodded. "Good. Now get out of here."

And she raced in the exact direction whence they came, as the two teenagers limped as quickly as healthfully permissible down the main hallway.

They turned the final corner, and encountered the cement steps, just as Vermouth's voice echoed distantly.

"Gin…" she faltered, to Shinichi's alarm.

"It's locked," Ran muttered, struggling with the doors' metal handles. "They locked us in."

A shot powerfully resounded through the hallway, startling both Kudou Shinichi and Mouri Ran into a sickly pallor.

"That was a shotgun," the detective whispered to himself, his nerves noticeably high. His gaze turned to the uncooperative doors before them, and then solemnly darted to Ran's eyes. "Kick them in."

With a swift nod, Ran slowly and profoundly inhaled, her limbs adopting a karate stance as the detective withdrew the Python and cocked it. The deep breath escaped Ran's lungs just as she fiercely slammed her leg into the doors, smashing them open. The light of the hall bathed Ran's face brightly, just as Gin's heavy steps began to approach.

"Detective!" the voice roared threateningly as it grew closer, and both teenagers sped away at its sound. "You and your girlfriend won't get away!"

Shinichi pushed Ran ahead of him, gaping when the girl's stiletto twisted and she stumbled. Furiously did she fling her shoes, and she felt Shinichi's large hand press flatly against her stomach, lifting her right off the ground to resume their race, now barefoot. "We have to keep our distance!" he rasped.

Warningly, Shinichi turned and fired the Python at the cement stairs' landing, noticing how the steps suddenly halted. The young man turned on his heels and made a run for it then, darting towards Ran despite his wounded stomach. While waiting for him by the entrance, she seemed to be whispering into a detective badge. One of her hands slammed open the door when she noticed his approach.

"We're getting out right now!" the girl cried into the transmitter as she took Shinichi's arm, helping him out of the house. "Someone's after us! Bring the police over!"

Ran shrieked and Shinichi goggled when another resonant gunshot drilled a hole into the door beside them. Instantly did Shinichi and Ran bolt to the iron gates, struggling with them momentarily before slamming them open.

"Shotguns have short ranges! Keep your distance!" Shinichi hoarsely yelled.

A third bullet boomed from the house, clanging against the metal gates as the two adolescents zoomed past them, and sped down the street.

Without ever once stopping, Ran glanced past her shoulder, noticing how the Special Assault forces furiously stormed their way, like black beetles, into the mansion. Their barking echoed down the street as they continued running, past the corner of Kabukichou's fifth block, and past the fourth, and finally past the third block, by which time Shinichi grasped Ran's arm meaningfully.

She reduced her dash to trotting steps, and halted, catching her breath as she glanced about. Neon signs flashed, light bulbs hyperactively blinked and kinky posters promised peep shows and bars with feathery young women, as the ground trembled with the thundering music of nightclubs. The sky displayed a battle between reds, pinks and purples—the remnants of a flaming sun already well burned into the horizon.

Turning towards Shinichi, she blanched and grew faint at the sight of him. While leaning onto his knees, breathing raggedly, his waist had become soaked with a crimson so deep and so coagulated, it had become black. The blood coated his abdomen darkly and gleamed moistly; more of it seemed to be oozing out, producing the pallor in Shinichi's face.

"Oh God…" The girl raced to his side, whimpering as she touched his shoulders. "Sit down, Shinichi, sit down."

She helped him to the ground, wincing as he groaned, and watched as a new flow of blood escaped his wound thickly, dangerously. His body gained a cold sweat, and he began to tremble.

"Oh God…" Ran muttered breathily, her fingers quivering as they neared him. "God… I… what… w-what do I do?"

"Press the wound…"

The girl tapped herself frantically, her face on the verge of tears. "I have no cloth…" she sniveled, furiously zipping open Vermouth's black bag in search of anything to tie the boy's wound with. Not even a handkerchief was inside.

"Use your hands…" Shinichi murmured, his voice a husky sigh. Blindly did his fingers reach for her own, curling around them and slowly leading them back to his stomach. They halted before the opened, oozing bullet hole, not forcing her to touch him. "It's better…"

Ran shook like a leaf, and her palm became clammy under Shinichi's grasp. He was beginning to shake from the trauma suffered by his stomach, as he grew pale, and dark-eyed, and sweaty.

With a sharp intake of breath, Ran squared her shoulders, firmly squeezed her eyes shut, and pressed her hand to the black stickiness of Shinichi's stomach as she let out a cry. The young man beneath her winced and his body hardened, becoming petrified with a sharp and overwhelming pain.

"I'm hurting you! I have to stop!" she sobbed, withdrawing her hands from his skin.

"No!"

Shinichi's hand gripped her wrist, and restored the pressure to his stomach, made it even stronger. Ran shrieked, perturbed by the amount of force she was now unwillingly applying to his waist. Blood, dark and heavy, poured over her pale fingers disturbingly; it gushed in cycles, as if with every palpitation of his heart. "Keep pressing…" he grunted, his darkened eyes gleaming with determination. "The bleeding will stop."

With tears streaked across her cheeks, Mouri Ran failed to even nod; she'd become too distraught to respond, or to even think. Her gaze returned to her hands, painted with Shinichi's blood, and to his warm and moist stomach, feeling her heart pound and her body swiftly grow weak.

"Don't look."

She glanced away, at the asphalt sidewalk and back at Shinichi's face. Though wan, he attempted a smile at her; one that was supportive, almost grateful. His gaze was becoming increasingly unfocused, and yet she could tell he attempted to remain awake for her. Unexpectedly did he begin to mutter something, though his voice had become so low and raspy, she had to lean in to hear.

"… tying a wound… can rupture a blood vessel… it's why pressing… hands… is better."

Ran nodded effusively at him, and he smiled, for a brief and weak moment, before his eyelids smoothly closed.

"Don't fall asleep," the girl faltered, watching him as he reopened his eyes.

"I won't." He straightened his neck, only to feel his head heavier and his body weaker. Overcome by exhaustion, he leaned his head into Ran's shoulder, his hair brushing warmly and damply against her cheek.

"Hey… hey…" Ran gently cocked her shoulder, softly moving Shinichi's head on top of it, as she maintained the pressure on his stomach. "Don't fall asleep… Do you hear me?"

Kudou Shinichi hummed, the vibrations of his groan passing through her chest, as Ran reached for the cell phone in her pocket with one of her bloodstained hands. She dialed the emergency number, and waited anxiously as the tone rolled slowly in her ear.

Finally, a silence clicked on, and soon became interrupted by the sound of a high-pitched monotone. "This is 119, Shibuya Fire Department. Is there a fire or an emergency?"

"An emergency! My friend needs an ambulance!"

The little voice droned. "Please hold."

"Hold?" Yet the silence had already clicked back on. Ran waited, a recording irritably muttering through the phone some instructions on preventing flus that season and never panicking under an emergency, when she felt the weight of Shinichi's head grow dead on her shoulder. With wide eyes, Ran deposited her cell phone on the ground and touched her childhood friend's face, becoming horrified when his head slid down her shoulder and he curled himself down to her lap. His breathing had become swift and shallow, his face feverish and wan, as his brow furrowed in pain.

"Shinichi… Shinichi!"

He seemed asleep.

Her hands shook him, becoming moist at his unresponsiveness. "Shinichi! Please stay awake!"

Ran had begun rocking her childhood friend back and forth, her eyes reddened with tears, by the time a little car beeped hysterically down the street. It parked with a screech right before them. Agasa's beetle.

From it emerged the overwrought old man. "Ran-kun! We've been looking all over for, oh…" He fell silent, and blanched, at the sight of a moribund Shinichi being embraced by a sobbing Ran.

The passenger's door opened widely, and Haibara Ai's pale face became visible. "Hakase, get him in the car."

Kudou Shinichi awoke momentarily, only to feel the softness of Ran's hair, to see the doctor's round face, to shiver at the gelid wind burning his back as he was lifted from the ground, and to squint at the yellow gleam of the back passenger door, before the world became warm, and silent, and it was soothingly consumed by night.

* * *

A monotonous beeping…

Ringing just beside his ear.

It was the only sound he perceived, aside from the low humming of an incandescent lightbulb somewhere in the ceiling. Other than these predictable sounds, there was nothing.

The beeping—though quiet, and calm, and gentle, and steady, and supposedly relaxing—was slowly driving him insane.

Welcome was a soft scraping sound of cloth that emerged unexpectedly, gently, somewhere beside him, to his left.

Kudou Shinichi opened his eyes, feeling them heavier than he could remember. A blurred figure near him slowly focused, the brown tones sharpening into long hair, and the whiteness becoming a long-sleeve shirt.

Ran, in a weary absentmindedness, sat in a plastic chair beside his bed, staring at his hand as she held it. Shinichi glanced at their enclosed hands, growing warmer as he felt her cool thumb brushing against his skin, softly, back and forth. He couldn't decide whether the sensation felt soothing or rousing.

"Ran…" he rasped, finding the grating sound of his voice perturbing.

The young woman's clasp became firmer and her wide eyes turned to him. Shinichi blushed at the sight of her gaze—glimmering and intense with warm joy—as it rested upon him.

"I, um…" He was beginning to stammer. That was no good. "H-how long have you been here?"

"Today?" she wondered, unaware that their fingers remained intertwined, to Shinichi's crimson discomfiture. "About… I don't know, an hour ago, I'd say."

"Today," he repeated with a frown. "Just… how long have I been here?"

Ran smiled gently, sympathetically. "Today's your fifth day." She reached over for her friend's shoulder as his eyes widened. "You were shot, Shinichi. You were in surgery. They had to knock you out nicely. Besides, they gave you more anesthesia since they saw you had been shot in the same region just a few months ago."

Kudou Shinichi paled and suddenly swallowed. She knew. "You gave me your blood that time," he muttered. The girl nodded, a soft smile tugging her lips. "Ran…"

"Which reminds me…" Stiffly did the girl reach for her purse, withdrawing from it two identical cell phones, both scarlet. She deposited them on his night-table. "These are yours."

Her gaze returned to her childhood friend, and watched him so serenely, Shinichi became awed.

"How long have you known?"

She smiled at the question, her gaze calm, and warm, and sad as she observed her lap. "A couple months…" she muttered. Her fingers tugged at her jeans, plucking invisible dirt and filaments as she maintained her gaze on her legs. "I've known for sure since last week." Unexpectedly did her smile grow. "You've been dropping an awful lot of hints, you know…"

"It's because of that call I made, isn't it?" The detective smirked at the blinding window, knowingly, self-deprecatingly. "I knew I shouldn't have called. I was too close to ending the case and coming back; I knew I would slip or say something stupid, and you'd find out everything, at the very worst time… But I still called."

"You didn't say anything stupid, Shinichi." His surprised gaze turned to Ran, who watched him perceptively. "It's because you barely said anything at all that I got suspicious. And whenever you did talk, you sounded different… like you were excited about something. But you weren't saying anything. Conan-kun was acting the same way all week. The day Conan left, I knew something was up."

He sighed. "How lame of me…"

"What, you wouldn't have told me anything had I not found out?" Ran wondered as she delved into her purse, her gaze dangerously calm and separated from his own.

"Hey now, that's not what I meant!" Shinichi cried out, sweating hotly when Ran sternly glared at him. "I was going to say something, just not—"

"Not today? Not tomorrow? Perhaps next year?" she wondered conversationally, her expression greatly resembling her mother's.

"Not until the case ended… and I regained my body." He frowned suddenly, and turned his gaze to his torso, covered by an adult yukata and sheets. "Which reminds me… I'm still Kudou Shinichi? And you said it's been five days?"

"It is thanks to Ai-san that you're still in your regular body," Ran announced, noting Shinichi's bemusement as she turned back to her purse. "She explained that the drug those men gave you wasn't permanent. The dose you need to permanently return to your original body is much bigger; it's equivalent to about eight shots."

Kudou Shinichi glowered. "So those guys did rip me off! They only gave me one injection."

"If they'd wanted to give you the eight shots that day, they still wouldn't have been able to. Giving you that dosage on a single day would've killed you. The injections have to be distributed over a period of time; like the hepatitis B shots."

"But if that dose wasn't permanent, why am I still myself? After five days?"

"Do you remember the bag that woman gave us? There were about sixteen antidotes inside. Ai-san gave you an injection two days ago, and taught me how to do it. Which brings me to the reason for my visit; today's the date for your next shot." Ran withdrew a syringe from her purse, along with a small bottle filled with transparent liquid, and proceeded to grasp one of Shinichi's sleeves. Her gaze meekly rose to his. "May I?" At his nod, she immediately rolled the cloth up to his shoulder, and swabbed some disinfectant on his arm, before filling up the syringe with the antidote. "Keep an eye on the door. If somebody comes in while I'm doing this… I'll be seriously yelled at. Who knows, they might even call the cops."

"You might even go to jail."

"Oh, thank you, Shinichi. That's real supportive." She glared at her grinning childhood friend, before fumbling with the filled syringe. "All right, pay attention to someone coming in…"

"Will do."

He relaxed himself as Ran leaned closer, directing the needle at his arm. She looked concentrated, and well rested, and calm, now that Kabukichou, its mansion, and its psychotic workers were somewhat left in the past. Now that her sole concern was administering an injection as painlessly as possible. Her cheeks suddenly bloomed and her eyes glimmered when she noticed his scrutiny. "Don't look. I can't do it if you're looking."

The detective grinned and turned his head to the window, feeling Ran's hesitation beside him. Though she was so close, and her posture seemed so prepared, he had yet to feel the injection.

"It's okay," he muttered with a smirk, his tired eyes still confidently observing the radiant window. "I didn't die from a gunshot to the stomach. I won't die from a needle." He suddenly glanced back at her, his eyebrows raised. "Unless you picked that thing up from the street?"

"No, Ai-san gave it to me," she mumbled with a grin.

"Then I should survive." He turned back to the window, his smirk intact. "You better hurry, though, before we're caught in flagrante."

"That did not sound right…" he heard the girl murmur, before feeling the gentle prick of the needle. Much more uncomfortable was the experience of the thick and transparent antidote, resemblant of serum, being slowly injected into his upper arm.

Once the contents were transferred, Ran removed the needle and the pain immediately subsided; her brow, however, remained tensely furrowed as she stored the syringe, gently cleaned the wound, and slowly bandaged it. Her concentration was absolute, even as steps clicked suspiciously closer down the hall, even as he disobeyed her request and intently observed her.

"Does this mean you're my nurse now?" he wondered lowly, almost drowsily, as the steps approached and Ran chuckled at him quietly.

"No. Your real nurse will be coming any moment now…" The syringe was concealed, and hastily did she unroll his sleeve. "I better go before she suspects anything."

"When is my next appointment with you?"

Ran smirked. "Four days from now. I'll be back before then, though." She leaned closer, to Shinichi's exhilaration, and her cheek brushed against his own as she gently embraced him. "Feel better soon."

Immediately did she rise, her face redder than he could remember as she snatched her purse and strode to the door. It was opened before she reached it, and from it, a whitely dressed nurse scrutinized Ran.

"Back for another visit?" the young woman scoffed.

"He's awake already," Ran muttered as she dashed out the door.

A laugh from the famous detective drew the nurse's attention. With an arm folded beneath his head, and his gaze lost in thought, he grinned warmly and pleasantly at the large window beside his bed. Sincere pleasure warmed his features, even as the girl had left the room long moments ago.

The nurse grumbled with resignation. "I'll go get the doctor…"

* * *

_A/N: This chapter marks Rani's knowledge on the latest developments between Shinichi and Ran. (I found out about the Holmes' Apprentice arc just one or two months ago. SILLY ME! Who thinks that case needs to be transformed into a DC movie? I do!) From now on, the characters will be portrayed with those files in mind._

_Thank you for reading!_


	20. Happy Seventeenth Birthday, Ran

___A/N: I'm a slow updater. I know. (pokes index fingers together) Please don't judge me…_

___A big thank you to Nika-chan and Tea Unicorn, though! Who have given me the priceless gift of patience and unconditional support! This chaptah foh yoo. :3_

___**Disclaimer:**_ _Lawyers: You are not welcome here. Go. Away. Shoo! Don't make me go get the broom!_

* * *

_**Day:** _Happy Seventeenth Birthday, Ran

* * *

"What do you think, Conan-kun?"

Edogawa Conan sat on the small bed, blushing faintly under the golden glow of the bedside lamp. Ran was standing before him, dressed in casual clothing as she pressed a dark and subtly glittering dress against her torso.

"I plan to wear this dress for the party tonight. I like the navy blue fabric and all, though I think it's a bit too short…" she muttered shyly, her cheeks alluringly rosy as her eyes glimmered down at him. "I don't know, what do you think?"

Under that gaze, he fought hard to suppress his blush, and get his tongue moving coherently.

"Why are you wasting your time asking that kid? He doesn't know anything about fashion." Suzuki Sonoko, entering Ran's bedroom while garbed in a small black dress, lowered her eyes condescendingly at the shrunken teenager who merely shot daggers up at her. "And certainly not about what's sexy!"

"Conan-kun has very strong opinions, though. And I need a male perspective. So?" She smiled down at him again, so warmly and disarmingly, he felt his cheeks begin to radiate heat again.

"I-I think it'll look nice on you, Ran-neechan!"

"Really? That settles it, then!" She turned to her closet, scanning its contents indecisively as she muttered. "Now I only have to find the shoes I bought for this and I'm done…"

"Only find shoes?" echoed Sonoko, incredulously. She folded her arms, frowning with vexation and resolution. "Tonight is one of the most important nights in your life, Ran. You'll be celebrating your birthday party at one of the most sought-after clubs in the city, courtesy of the connections of the Suzuki empire and the reservation made by yours truly, the great Suzuki Sonoko." She winked, as Ran smiled weakly, and Edogawa Conan quietly snorted — only to earn a painful bonk on his head. "And I'm not about to allow my best friend to go to her party unprepared. With me as your cosmetologist, you'll be transformed into the most beautiful, most stunning girl that has ever set foot into Sai-Sai! Once I'm done with you, all the guys' mouths will be hanging! Especially that of your detective geek."

"S-Sonoko!"

"Hey, go easy on the makeup…" muttered Conan with a quirked eyebrow, as Sonoko's face gained a fearsome scowl.

"Whaddya know, kid? Get out, that Ran needs to change and I need to get started!" And he was pushed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him as Sonoko's voice faintly hummed through, her tone fiercely enthusiastic. "Now let's get to work!"

_Stupid Sonoko…_ he grumbled mentally while dusting himself off, and dignifiedly headed to the kitchen, finding Hattori on his way there. He was seated upon a zabuton at the dining table, his chin languidly buried in his palm, as a grin slowly became plastered on his face.

"What's this? Your lady kicked you out?"

"No." Conan scowled, turning towards the kitchen and climbing a bar stool to reach the sink, before turning on the tap. He could hear Hattori abandoning his seat and his steps approaching the kitchen. "Sonoko is getting ready to doll Ran up, apparently to impress the male guests at the party… just another of her ill-fated plans…" he groused.

Heiji grinned supportively. "Nothing a quick visit from the one and only Kudou Shinichi can't solve, I bet?"

Water rushed into the glass, bubbles fizzing as they filled it to the brim, and the small elementary school hand shut the valve off. The cup hesitated just shy of reaching his lips. "I talked to Haibara about it already. She says there's too many people at the party and I can't risk the exposure."

"It's gonna be dark, though. Right? I mean, isn't the place a nightclub of some sort?"

Edogawa Conan swallowed his every instinct as he drank the contents of the glass, his gaze lusterless under his father's thick-rimmed glasses. With apathy, he rinsed the cup. "It won't matter. That club will be swarming with Teitan High students. Not even the darkness will hide me in there."

Hattori Heiji stared at his small and morose friend, his eyes growing perturbingly larger and his lips twitching with an unamused grin, as he stammered. "H-hold on a second here… you're not actually bailing out on me, are you?" The silence which followed enraged and boiled his veins. "You're not leaving me alone to go to a nightclub full of screaming and sweaty kids all by myself! I'm not gonna suffer alone! You're coming along, whether you like it or not, Kudou!"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down!" the shrunken detective hissed, prompting Heiji to furiously stride to his side.

"Why do you think I came over here just to go inside a black box full of booming music and smelly people all bunched up in ten square feet? Obviously because I thought you were coming to suffer with me too!" He glowered at his small friend, almost with disgust. "And look at you now, you're choking."

"Do you think I prefer to stay here, on the night of my childhood friend's seventeenth birthday, in a seven year-old body, alone with her father?"

Heiji thought the kitchen's temperature dropped a good ten degrees, as he felt himself pale and involuntarily shiver under his friend's murderous scowl. He gratefully resumed normal breathing when the psychotic stare turned its attention towards the stool, as Kudou descended from his seat.

"It's frustrating," he continued, more sociably, "having to stay here when there are a hundred of those pills, just sitting there, waiting to be used. But Haibara's right. There are too many Teitan students there. I have no option but to stay behind. Showing up would be the fastest way to blow my cover…" He furrowed his brow, Gin's astute gaze, Vodka's disgruntled frown, and Vermouth's sneer returning to his mind. "Besides, now's the time for me to be lying low. Especially these next few weeks. We've been chancing upon good leads, Hattori; if we want to keep progressing with our research, we should both stay put and keep away from excessive publicity, at least until we're ready to move in on them."

The Osakan detective followed his friend to the living room table, seating himself on the zabuton directly across from his. "Have you gotten any further updates?"

"Nothing major since we spoke last Thursday. I'll keep you posted." Conan absentmindedly fumbled with a tangerine from the centerpiece, his movements followed by a very silent and pensively grimacing Heiji. "But yeah…" the boy continued quietly, as if resuming a train of thought. "I actually agree with Haibara this once. I should lie low and avoid my name from getting out. It would be bad if the organization found out Kudou Shinichi was alive just as we're getting close to them."

Heiji observed his shrunken companion, watched his downcast gaze and his head limply supported on his palm, as the tangerine rolled aimlessly about the table under the absent guidance of his hand. The Osakan young man furrowed his brow, perturbed by his friend's unspoken despondence. "It's her birthday, though…" he muttered, sincerely and empathetically discontented. "I mean, there's gotta be a way you can see her, somehow… if not at the party, then before she goes there. That's it!" he grinned eagerly, slamming his palms against the small table and drawing Conan's impassive attention. "You should ask that little girl to give you a pill so you can visit neechan now, before she leaves for the party. Or to meet up with her once she comes back, right here, at the apartment. That way no one else will see you."

"You don't know Ran. If I come here before the party begins, she'll feel guilty for leaving and won't enjoy herself at the club…" he murmured dourly, knowingly, as the tangerine halted under his grip. "As for the second option, the party is supposed to end pretty late. Eleven o'clock is no hour for me to be showing up unannounced."

"I'm sure neechan wouldn't mind…" Heiji smirked suggestively.

Conan blushingly glowered at him. "I'm sure her father would." The tangerine rolled in small, leisurely circles as he deadpanned humorlessly. "Good luck talking when an old man is barking in your ear."

Heiji sank deeper in his seat, drooping despondently as he pondered the disquieting matter. There was nothing which could be done, it seemed…

The shrunken detective glanced at his frowning counterpart, and observed the empty seat beside him. "Where's Kazuha?"

"Mm?" That tore the teenager from his contemplation. "Oh. She went to the store at the end of the street to get some gift wrap. She insisted we couldn't give neechan her present as it is."

Conan's curiosity was piqued. "And? What'd you get her?"

"The stupidest gift in the world. Though Kazuha insisted she would like it, so I guess that's what matters." Heiji scowled disdainfully as he met his friend's gaze. "A daruma fuurin."

The boy's eyebrows rose perplexedly. "A good luck wind chime? But we're nowhere near the New Year…"

"That's what I told her!" Heiji barked cantankerously, his irascibility reawakened. "I kept telling her it made no sense to get such a gift now, that it would be better to get neechan a regular wind chime, but she kept saying there is never a wrong time in the year to receive a daruma. That ahou, she's so stubborn when she feels like it…"

_Look who's talking… _mused Shinichi, snorting mentally.

"By the way, what'd you get her anyway?" wondered Heiji, intrigued.

"For Ran? Oh, just a new pillow. Hers was already old and it kept hurting her neck, so I got her one she saw two weeks ago, which she really liked, in the shape of a cloud."

Heiji smirked knowingly. "And? What did Shinichi get her?"

Conan blushed, and with a frown he averted his gaze. "That's none of your business."

"Ooh, come on! What'd you get her? You can tell me!" he grinned teasingly, delighting in the even hotter crimson tainting Conan's cheeks.

"No."

"Hey—"

"Heiji! Quit bothering Conan-kun." Both detectives turned their attention to the front door, where Touyama Kazuha stood in a strapless burnt umber dress, holding a delicately printed bag from her hands as she frowned. "You're seventeen years old already and he's just seven; you should know better than to pick on him."

_If you only knew… _groaned Hattori Heiji internally as he glanced at Conan, who sported the slightest smirk of triumph, much to his vexation. Thus, he vented his frustration the one way he knew best. "Ahou! I wasn't picking on him. If you'd only stood there a moment longer, you would've seen I was only trying to find out what presents he'd gotten neechan, and you would've seen he was being difficult. As always, you jump into conclusions."

"Jump into conclusions?!" A vein protruded from her temple. "You're the one always picking fights with him!"

"'Cause he's always annoying me!"

"He's only a child, Heiji!"

"That doesn't make him any less annoying! Why are you always siding with him anyway?"

"Because he's always polite and you're always immature!"

"Immature! Look who's being immature now by making a racket, ahou!"

"You clearly are, ahou!"

"Yup. It's them…" muttered Sonoko from Ran's bedroom door, her eyebrow twitching as she smirked disbelievingly. All anger vanished, Kazuha immediately removed her shoes and hurried towards her.

"Sonoko-chan!" she chirped, suddenly in high spirits.

"Hey!" the heiress smiled merrily. "Ran is almost ready. You should see the brilliant cosmetic work I did on her." She winked, as Kazuha squealed eagerly.

"Really? Let's see, let's see!"

"Ran? Are you done?" With a quirked eyebrow, Sonoko poked her head into the bedroom, receiving a shy grunt in reply. "What are you waiting for? Come out here so they can see you!" And with a jubilant grin, she stepped into the bedroom and pushed Ran out the door.

With her cheeks glowing bashfully, the girl rigidly stared at the floor, her face acquiring a deeper crimson as Kazuha shrieked excitedly and Sonoko chattered her approval. It was a short and close-fitting dress, exposing plenty of leg and perfectly outlining her small hourglass figure. Her long hair was collected into a loose bun, her cheeks genuinely bloomed with embarrassment, as the navy blue fabric of her dress glittered faintly under the light, and offered a sharp and alluring contrast with the pale, creamy pigmentation of her skin. Shinichi found himself staring, wide-eyed and absentminded, Sonoko's jabber reaching his ears through a distant and high-pitched buzz as Ran suddenly grinned at the ground, blushingly, grasping her bare neck self-consciously. The shrunken detective gulped, his face reddening with admiration.

"Done drooling?"

Hattori Heiji grinned cheekily, as Conan blushingly scowled at him.

"Looking like that, Kudou-kun is bound to be stunned when he sees you!" a glowing Kazuha squealed with curled fists, eliciting an even hotter blush from her friend. With a lowered voice and furrowed brow, she gazed at Ran, resolute and red-faced. "Tonight is your night, Ran-chan. When he shows up, corner him and tell him how you feel! Don't let him get away without hearing it!"

Shyly, Ran hesitantly nodded, too emotionally swayed to have speech. Noticing Conan's downcast eyes, however, Heiji experienced a rapid surge of panic.

"Ah, no!" interrupted the young man, grinning nervously. "It's, um — possible that Kudou won't be joining us tonight, as it turns out…"

"What?" yelped his childhood friend in disbelief, approaching him instantly. "What do you mean he won't? I thought you said earlier Kudou-kun would be coming, and that's why you chose to come too."

Heiji glowered. "No, I said, it was likely that Kudou _might_ be coming to the party. But, ah, w-well, as it turns out — he might _not_ be coming, in the end… He sent me a message just some minutes ago, saying he's having trouble getting free from work…" he mumbled with a sheepish grin under Kazuha's scrutiny, his senses very much alert to Ran's reaction. There was none.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling the whole truth, Heiji?" inquired Kazuha with a frown, her arms akimbo.

"Ahou! I'm telling you the truth! He told me he couldn't come while you were out at that store. Isn't that right, kid?" Heiji grinned at his friend, with more than his nervous share of sweat.

"Nn! Shinichi-niichan said so a few minutes before you came in, Kazuha-neechan." Conan's widely innocent eyes seemed to convince the girl, whose face fell at the news.

"Oh…" she muttered, despondent, and she glanced back at Ran, who only smiled softly in return.

"It's okay. Shinichi is very busy, after all…" she murmured gently, as Conan's heart both plummeted and melted down to his feet. _Ran…_

"That reminds me," Kazuha suddenly began as she returned to Ran's side, a warmhearted smile on her lips as she offered the intricately designed bag with both hands. "Please accept this small gift from that ahou and me!"

"Hey…" grumbled Heiji from the dining table.

"No way…" Ran's eyes widened, before she frowningly admonished her friend. "You guys! You didn't have to give me anything!"

"But I wanted to," chirped the girl.

"You're not… I can't… no, I cannot accept it."

"Please accept it, Ran-chan! It's just a small thing."

"I just… no, I really, I just… I can't…"

"Yes you can, take it!" Kazuha implored, forcing the gift into Ran's arms, and receiving a mildly reproachful yet appreciate look from the girl's eyes. The aikidoka grinned gleefully. "Please take it! You won't reject my carefully chosen gift, will you, Ran-chan?"

That elicited a sincere smile from Ran. "Of course not… thank you so much, Kazuha-chan! Hattori-kun."

The Osakan boy offered an acknowledging wave of his hand, as his childhood friend beamed eagerly. "Open it, open it!"

After a contemplative moment, Ran moved towards the vacant zabuton beside Conan's, settling next to him and depositing the delicate bag near the centerpiece, before slipping her hands inside. Her fingers parted the fragile and colorful paper cushioning the gift, before carefully removing her present, boxed and wrapped thoughtfully in glistening light green paper.

"What're you giving her, a matryoshka?" scoffed Heiji, earning a slap on his shoulder from a blushing Kazuha.

"Ahou! You know what we're giving her."

Rising from her seat and scurrying to the kitchen, Ran made a small racket for a few moments, before returning to her seat, a small pair of scissors in her hands.

Sonoko smirked as she observed Ran surgically remove the tape. "You never make the slightest tear on your gifts, do you, Ran."

"Nope." She grinned, while gently turning her gift and cutting the remaining piece of tape binding it. "Especially not on beautiful gift wrap like this!" she beamed at Kazuha, who smiled triumphantly as Heiji sardonically snickered. Setting the scissors aside, Ran unfolded the wrapping paper, revealing a small cardboard box which she carefully and curiously pried open. She was met with a scarlet daruma doll, for wish-making and good luck, made out of glass and built into a delicate wind chime. A small note had been slipped beneath, in Kazuha's handwriting.

_"May the wind bring back the one you love, and make his return all the safer and sooner."_

"It's just a small gift…" muttered Kazuha blushingly, as Ran tearfully met her gaze.

"Kazuha-chan. Thank you."

Ran immediately abandoned her seat and both girls embraced each other fiercely, breaking into bright and sniveling smiles, as an alarmed Sonoko yelped beside them. "Oi, Ran, careful! You'll ruin your makeup!"

"And apparently, it's a success. They sure understand each other…" murmured Heiji in disbelief, loud enough for Conan alone to hear him, though the boy seemed engrossed in the note which had moved Ran to tears. Intrigued, Heiji leaned closer. "What is it?"

With a melancholy smile, the shrunken detective gently placed the note beneath the crimson daruma, the glass clinking softly as he coccooned the charm in its box and its gift wrap. "Well wishes… for Ran and me."

* * *

It was past seven thirty when the teenagers departed from the Mouri Detective Agency.

Not without another useless fight from Hattori, however, who casually attempted to flee from his companions at the very last minute.

_"What!" Kazuha scowled at her childhood friend. "Are you saying you're not going to Ran-chan's party?"_

_"Look, I'm all for birthday parties, but what you're trying to drag me into is a _nightclub_… Besides, someone should stay behind with the kid anyway, I don't think he should be left alone."_

_"Don't use Conan-kun as an excuse, Heiji! You're just complaining because Kudou-kun isn't coming. No way, I'm not letting you back out of this one! You're coming along. Besides, Conan-kun will be staying with Ran-chan's dad, it's not like he'll be alone."_

_"Hm?" A gruff voice emerged from the agency's desk, low with wariness. __"What's this about that detective brat not going?" And__ Mouri Kogorou's glower slipped past his newspaper._

_"Shinichi-kun can't get off work, apparently…" Suzuki Sonoko stood by the door in her coquettish outfit, condescendingly raising an eyebrow. "That stinkin' detective nerd won't even come for his own wife's birthday now…"_

___"Sonoko!" __Ran groaned, rebukingly, at the mischievously smirking girl._

_"Hattori." Heiji felt a small tug on his pants, and he bent down to Edogawa Conan's eye level, leaning an attentive ear as the child whispered. "You should go with them."_

_"What?" His goggle swiftly transformed into a furious glower. "No. No way! I'm not going out there! Why do I have to go when you get to stay behind?"_

_"Because someone should keep an eye on Ran for me. Two eyes. Trust me, I'd do it myself, if I could…" The boy scowled sulkily._

_"Keep an eye…?" the teen mumbled to himself, perplexed, and glanced back at Ran some feet away, who continued scolding an amused Sonoko. His eyes suddenly widened and he returned his gaze to his friend, a sly smirk swiftly growing on his lips. "I see… you want me to be neechan's bodyguard in your absence, is that it?"_

_Conan blushed fierily, though preserved his frown. "Well?" _

_The shrunken detective received a firm clap on the back from a grinning Heiji, much to his vexation._

_"Sure! I'll do you this favor, Kudou. Just this once."_

_"Careful with the name, you idiot!"_

_"Hey… if that detective kid isn't going, then you better be…" grumbled Mouri Kogorou. They found him standing before Heiji, tall and menacing, directing a sinister grimace at the Osakan teen as he rose to his feet._

_"Mm? Yeah…" he muttered, his quirked eyebrow nothing short of bewildered. "I just decided, I'm going too."_

_"Really?" piped a stunned Kazuha._

_"Good…" growled Kogorou, sliding his hands inside his pockets while tramping back to his office desk. "Because I'm not having my daughter go to a party full of horny teenagers by herself. I won't allow it."_

_"Otousan!" whined Ran, embarrassed, as Hattori Heiji snickered silently at both the old man and the miniaturized Kudou beside him. They were identical. Much more than they cared to think._

_"Are we going?" Sonoko groaned, her voice echoing as she descended the stairs. "We're gonna be late… the party starts at eight!"_

_"Okay. We're leaving, otousan! Don't expect us until ten thirty or so!" The man grunted his reply, and Ran knelt down before Conan, her voice becoming mellower and her eyes softer. "Will you be okay here, Conan-kun?"_

_Ran's attention caught him off guard. "Nn! I was thinking I'll probably go to Agasa-hakase's house…" he murmured thoughtfully, sincerely, as he considered going against reason and kindly begging Haibara for a pill for the umpteenth time; he'd lost count already. He offered Ran a sunny smile, though, unwittingly reminding her of Shinichi. "Have fun at the party, though, Ran!"_

_'Eh?' The girl's eyes widened, and for a mere moment, it was Shinichi's voice reaching her ears as he grinned up at her. Yet the illusion was soon gone. The smirk became a smile, and the childhood friend a child; the voice now rang highly and cheerfully, and the "neechan" finally flowed into her ears._

_With an uncertain smile, she gazed at him, her eyes nonetheless warm. "All right. Try not to stay too late at hakase's house, okay?"_

_He nodded his approval, and Ran slowly straightened to her feet, sliding on her heels before sluggishly making her way to the door. Something about the intimate warmth of her voice, or the darkened intensity of her gaze, or __the angle of her back as she exited the apartment, _made him think that the last thing Ran wished at that moment was to attend a loud party in downtown Shibuya. Something about her body language made him think that she much preferred to stay behind, in the company of her father and him, and something told him that Ran knew fully well what Conan's company truly meant.

From the apartment upstairs, he watched the posse of well-dressed adolescents walk down the dark street, their voices ringing jubilantly in the cooling air. In the night, their clothes all appeared as various shades of gray and black, the shape of their silhouettes distinguishing the male from the female. Longingly did he find himself staring, almost seeing Kudou Shinichi's back swaying along with them, grinning by Ran's side. Though her hair was tied up, and the shade of her clothes looked not a bit different from those of her companions while in the darkened street, he could still recognize her figure from afar. Her posture looked determined. She was trying to be happy for her friends.

Glumly did Conan lower from his chair, and lean against the cool wall. The Mouri apartment quietly gazed back at him, buzzing softly with the sounds of the kitchen, while Ran's bedroom lay concealed in darkness. Despite this, he was still able to see Kazuha's gift on Ran's desk, still neatly and carefully enclosed in its wrapped box. Quietly did he enter the room and approach the present, wondering what Ran had done to it, if anything. He'd seen her grasping an indelible pen earlier, while in her room with Kazuha and Sonoko.

The fiercely red daruma appeared from within its cocoon, still blind. _Ran hasn't drawn an eye on it yet… _A string emerged from within the daruma, for producing gentle sounds whenever the wind made it flutter, and tied to the string was the rectangular and colorfully adorned piece of paper for writing the wish or prayer. His heart accelerated when he saw words had been meticulously added, in black ink.

**_DETECTIVE GEEK_**

He smirked, and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, allowing his gaze to soften. Gently, he wrapped the present as he found it, and made his way out of the bedroom to prepare for his visit to Agasa's. Quickly did he skip down the stairs and sneak his head into the agency for a moment. "Ojisan! I'm going to hakase's house now."

The man grunted apathetically. "Don't be too late, brat."

He clicked the door shut, and hurried down the remaining steps to march out into the night. The air felt comfortably cool, as pedestrians hurried through the sidewalk and cars whooshed down the street. He had to beg for a temporary antidote from Haibara again, try his luck at least once more. It was Ran's birthday, after all. If today he couldn't visit her, for fear of exposure to the kurozukume, then at least tomorrow. Besides, who knew? Perhaps Haibara's pity would reawaken from some dark corner of her lab and toss a pill his way. The antidote didn't even have to last twenty-four hours. Just a few hours, that'll all he needed. God knew he wasn't asking for much.

Suddenly did a phone ring shrilly into the night, it was his left cell phone, Conan's cell phone.

The screen displayed an anonymous caller.

Frowning perplexedly, he accepted the call, his young voice rolling into the line. "Moshi moshi?"

"Kudou Shinichi-san… isn't it."

* * *

It was the loudest party she'd ever attended.

How embarrassing that it was her own.

Music boomed through the large black rooms, vibrating through the ground and walls, pounding through her bones. Girls had to scream in her ear in order to be heard. Though nowhere else had she seen her friends or her classmates' faces radiate so much joy.

Except for Hattori-kun, who looked ready to pound his head into a wall.

She wondered why Kazuha-chan forced him to come along, after all, he clearly had expressed his wish to stay behind (and quite frankly, she couldn't sympathize more). Ran figured, however, that despite her feisty and dogged refusal to pay his misery any attention, Kazuha-chan actually wanted her childhood friend's company more than ever. And with such wishes, Ran also couldn't be more sympathetic.

With a smile, she accepted the cool glass Sonoko offered her, and sipped it gently, careful not to get pushed by a rowdy teenager. Her best friend's arm flopped over her shoulders then, as she leaned closer and screamed something which Ran couldn't decipher. "What?!" she yelled back, doubting Sonoko had heard, though Ran meaningfully leaned a closer ear so the girl could repeat herself.

"Let's go dance," Sonoko forcefully said, her grin just as enthusiastic as the small group of girls who had gathered around some moments ago. "Meet… guys!"

Ran smiled, assuming the word Hot had been dropped somewhere along in there. She leaned into Sonoko's ear. "What about Kyougoku-san?"

The girl's face fell into a picturesque deadpan. At which Ran could only laugh.

Sonoko suddenly shouted unintelligibly and threw a fist into the air, garnering the ebullient support of some classmates, before she deposited her cup on a table and led Ran towards the dancing crowd. Panic-stricken, she witnessed the main dance floor become closer and some of the girls trot ahead of her, until she suddenly resisted Sonoko's pull and resolutely stood her ground. Her friend glanced back and looked ready to tug even harder, when Ran significantly jiggled her glass, still containing her beverage, and signaled Sonoko to go on. After a moment of skeptical hesitation, Sonoko conceded and released her wrist, before exuberantly joining the other girls.

With a listless turn of her heels, Ran slowly made her way back to the table, wondering amusedly how long and tedious she could make her trip. Gradually, her hand extended to the mantlepiece, and methodically, soundlessly, deposited the glass. Before she slowly and smoothly lifted it again to take a leisurely sip, her craftiness making her grin.

Casually, she glanced away from the table, scanning the dark and unrecognizable figures of adolescents gathered in clusters throughout the building. Robert Miles had begun to play, and Teitan students had predictably begun lifting their arms in enthusiasm, some girls swaying gleefully to the latest single, when Ran's eyes flitted over the figures near the club's entrance, and suddenly did a double take.

Her heart pounded erratically, and her breathing became shallow. Why? If it was only a shadow, like the many other shadows standing, strolling, surrounding her in that poorly lit nightclub.

And yet…

That posture.

Relaxed, yet nonetheless slightly imposing, so alluring and familiar simultaneously. She felt tears prick her eyes, and knew she didn't have to see anymore to know it was him.

As he stepped closer in her direction, with a slight swagger emerging from his gait, a dim light revealed his somber attire and illumined his face. With his gaze cast on the floor, there stood her childhood friend, Hattori-kun walking by his side while listening and staring at him in shock. Ran was sure she looked as astounded as he did.

Shinichi's eyes rose from the ground, and immediately met hers, the visual contact making her quiver. Heiji noticed their interaction shortly thereafter, and he grasped his friend's shoulder while frowningly saying something to him, turning his cap forward before hurrying away.

With a measured stride, Shinichi walked towards her, his expression composed as Ran felt her heart anxiously race. She scurried towards him, her cheeks glowing warmly as a thrill flowed through her veins, the seriousness which exuded from him producing a strange tingle within her stomach.

She halted before him, wide-eyed and blushing, observing the varicolored lights flash against the contours of his somber face. Something was wrong, and the realization gnawed at her.

Shinichi leaned closer, surprisingly closer, his cheek brushing hers as he touched her elbow. "Did anyone strange approach you, since you've been here?" his voice growlingly inquired into her ear, making her blush.

"No."

His hand slid to her upper arm, as his mouth grazed her ear. "There are explosives in this building, Ran. Help me find them."

The news took her aback, yet when Shinichi's grave gaze met hers, she immediately recovered from her daze. Furrowing her brow resolutely, she nodded, and with Shinichi leading the way, they distanced themselves from the dancing crowd and moved towards the darker corridors of the club.

Teitan students swarmed through every crevice of the building. They emerged unexpectedly through passageways, accompanied by vivacious chatter, giddy jumping, or the occasional feverish fit of laughter, as Shinichi and Ran remained unitedly silent. They scanned their dim surroundings, searching for any suspicious device tucked on a wall or near the ground, their attention focused and their movements prowl-like, as they worked in unison. With the evasion of a small and stumbling band of teens, they squeezed closer together, maintaining their proximity even when the group left, their hands meeting and their fingers wordlessly intertwining, as they kept walking in the dark.

The uproarious laughter of another passing group, strolling up the hall, thunderously reached Ran's ears as Shinichi and she advanced down the hallway. Some of them looked positively elated. And yet she gazed at Shinichi shyly, her cheeks warmly rosy, knowing with certainty that none of those people, in their wild grinning and even wilder cackling, could possibly feel the level of exhilaration and completeness she experienced then, in the cozy silence of Shinichi's company, with her hand snugly in his own.

They prowled through the corridors, coming across different dance rooms with different music styles, all of them comparably populated. An inspection of the walls and nooks around the bar area, aside from lending them an unexpected meeting with a similarly snooping Hattori Heiji, yielded no results. After some brief words, Shinichi and Heiji split up again, though only for a moment as the Osakan seemed to remember something and called Shinichi's attention again. He extended his hat, and to Ran's bemusement, he seemed to offer it to Shinichi like that last time. The Tokyo detective smirked. "Forget it. That's useless now…" he barked above the music while shaking his head, and Heiji seemed to understand, for he winced and immediately nodded, as if accepting his mistake. Hattori-kun, with his cap restored and facing forward, headed back into the club's heart as Shinichi pulled her in the opposite direction.

The two childhood friends approached the farthest dance room in the club. A reddish light inundated the area, and Ran glanced around at the dancing teens transmuted into scarlet figures, her free hand tugging on Shinichi's sleeve before pointing to an inconspicuous door on the opposite wall. Shinichi decisively made his way towards it, her hand still snugly enveloped in his own, and she blushed at the intense stares he spontaneously attracted on his way there, and the absent looks she unfailingly received, all from the same females. With embarrassment, Ran diverted her gaze and followed Shinichi closely behind, observing him try the small door's knob. It wouldn't budge.

"Do you have two hairpins?" he sonorously asked into her ear, and Ran's first reaction was to say no, yet she remembered the decorative clips Sonoko had pinned to her hair back home. Reaching a hand blindly to the side of her head, she felt around for the bobby pins, finding the first one, and beside it the second, sliding them off her hair and offering them to Shinichi. He uncertainly observed one of them.

"Can I pull this off?" he wondered into her ear, his fingers gripping the decorative beads attached to the brilliant purple hairpin, and Ran immediately nodded. He plucked them off, removing the residual glue and leaving the bobby pin bare, before bending the pin into a long L shape, and rigidly straightening the other, sliding both bobby pins into the lock. Ran smiled fondly, remembering the lessons on lock-picking he'd given her when they were preteens (in the event she ever locked herself out, he declared, disclaiming any criminal intent.) He was quite adroit, she remembered, and apparently he hadn't gotten rusty since the door was unlocked within a few moments.

It was quiet inside, and Shinichi clicked the lights on. It appeared to be a maintenance room of some sort. A brief exploration revealed two unassuming looking devices, surprisingly small and silent, taped to the bottom of a table.

"Are those it?" Ran wondered, relieved at their size, though Shinichi remained as focused and grim as before, if not more snippy. In a daze, Ran watched him suddenly rise to his feet and grasp her shoulders, guiding her steps towards the door.

"I have to deactivate these things, all right? Go outside and stay with Sonoko. Where is she, anyway?" His hand reached for the door, finding Hattori Heiji in the distance surrounded by a small crowd, of whom he discerned Suzuki Sonoko worriedly standing by his side. Shinichi opened the door wider, allowing the normal lighting of the maintenance room to attract their attention, and Heiji saw it, pointing in his direction as Shinichi raised an arm above his head, and a surprised Sonoko made her way towards them. Shinichi's eyes returned to Ran, his hand still on her shoulder, his gaze solemn and profound, as dark blue as her dress. "Go with Sonoko and stay with her. Stay with your friends at all times." His penetrating stare was sincere. "Do not let them leave you alone for any reason. Okay?"

Ran faintly nodded, unashamedly spellbound, and Shinichi gave her shoulder a firm squeeze — the last reassurance she might've needed — before he let her go, allowing her to meet her friends outside. Sonoko, Kazuha, and Sera Masumi had gathered just outside the door, and Ran had barely stepped towards them, and Sera had barely managed an exclamation of delight upon witnessing the famous detective, when Shinichi aloofly slammed the door shut on their faces. Masumi-chan scowled. "Mou, that's not nice."

Sonoko grinned. "I guess he only has time for Ran now… so, what did you guys do in there?" she squeaked, clutching Ran's arm eagerly. "Did he give you another love confession? Did you answer this time? Ran? Raaan?"

The heiress rocked her, but Ran was dazed, and wide-eyed, and red-faced. She was gone.

* * *

During the hour which followed, the vast majority of attendees learned, one way or another, that two bombs had been activated inside the club. News spread like a contagious virus, striking from person to person, causing their murmuring to grow, and their eyes to widen, and word to quickly disseminate across every dance room and every corridor. Even regular lighting had slowly begun to illuminate the club, and amidst the shocking news of ticking explosives, and the more thrilling news of Kudou Shinichi's opportune return, even the music lowered to somewhat decent decibels as people chattered the night away.

On a small bench not too distant from the maintenance room, Touyama Kazuha and Mouri Ran quietly sat, both remarkably impassive in comparison to the wildly jabbering teens around them. Suzuki Sonoko stood uneasily beside them, frowning at her surroundings with a tapping foot, as a neutrally dressed Sera Masumi chose to rejoin them.

"Say…" the androgynous girl began, back from her trip to the bathroom, a bright yet uncertain smile on her face. "Do you guys think if I go and ask nicely, Kudou-kun will let me meet him this time? And maybe help him with those explosives?"

"Let you help him with detective work?" Suzuki Sonoko glared through half-opened eyes, before leaning apathetically against a wall. "That'll be the day…" Suddenly, she cast a sidelong glance at the female sleuth. "What's with wanting to meet Shinichi-kun so much, anyway? Don't tell me you have a crush on him now, aside from your regular shotacon crush on the glasses kid?"

Sera blushed fierily. "I—it isn't like that! I have admiration for them, that is all…"

"Admiration, huh…" Sonoko smirked sardonically at the other teenager beside her. "From admiration is where this girl started… and look where that got her."

Ran blinked, and turned to Sonoko as she noticed her stare. "Huh?"

"Precisely what I mean. You're on cloud nine, Ran! What happened in there? Tell me. I want the scoop."

The girl reddened feverishly. "Nothing happened…"

"You expect me to believe you with that face?"

"That's right, Ran-chan! You can tell us!" Kazuha chirped, rosy-cheeked and mirthful as she leaned a closer ear. "Did you manage to confess to him?"

"I…" Ran's face burned with a dangerous crimson, her eyes glowing brightly, as she stared ruefully at her friend. "No…"

"You just have to, Ran-chan! Don't think about it too hard. Besides, remember, if you do it, then I do it too!" she winked enthusiastically, unable to suppress the nervous redness of her cheeks.

Ran gazed at her with wide eyes, only to hesitantly nod, before frowning and blushing resolutely. "All right… I'll do it."

"Really?" piped an astounded Sonoko.

"That's the spirit! When he finishes in the maintenance room, that's when you'll have your chance."

She nodded solemnly, anxiously, just as an explosion of frenetic excitement and loud chatter began to reach their ears. People were gathering and gobbling amongst themselves like flustered pigeons, their faces lighting eagerly with some sort of news.

"What's going on over there?" Sonoko muttered, perplexed, before grinning eagerly. "I'm gonna go and find out."

"Wait! Heiji said for us to stay together while we wait for him and Kudou-kun to come back…" Kazuha called out, apprehensively.

"No — he said for you and _Ran _to stick together at all times. So I, clearly, am off the hook." She grinned and winked mischievously, to Kazuha's beady-eyed incredulity. The yammer of excited conversation grew, and Sonoko frowned impatiently. "I'm going to see what's up."

"Maybe they learned something about the bombs…" mused Sera.

"Then me too!" Ran declared blushingly, surprising her companions as she firmly rose from the bench. "Are you coming, Kazuha-chan?"

Her friend nodded, and with a premonitory anxiousness accelerating her heart, Ran approached the enthusiastic crowd, stopping the first group of prattling adolescents she encountered. "Ano… did something happen?"

The girl closest to her broke into a grin. "Kudou-san defused the bombs!"

Ran's heart skipped a beat. Shinichi had finished. "Where is he? Did he leave the maintenance room already?"

The group exchanged blank glances, visibly perplexed as they shook their heads and denied any knowledge in relative unison.

"We should just go to the maintenance room and try to find him," muttered Sonoko matter-of-factly, eliciting a consenting nod from Ran.

"Wait, that's Heiji…" Kazuha stared in the direction of the main entrance, distinguishing the figure of her childhood friend, who seemed exasperated as he paced about. "What's up with him? He should know where Kudou-kun is, he went to help him. Oi, Heiji!" Kazuha bellowed, before dashing towards him, her friends following behind as the detective stopped on his tracks and turned his distressed gaze towards her.

"Kazuha…"

"Did you guys really finish deactivating those bombs?"

"Huh? Yeah… some minutes ago…"

"Isn't Kudou-kun with you? Ran-chan is looking for him, she's got something very important to tell him." Kazuha beamed up at her childhood friend, as Ran blushingly scowled at the girl.

"Kazuha-chan!"

Heiji glanced at Ran, who frowned very rosily at her friend, and who proceeded to watch him shyly, as the weight of the world suddenly sank his shoulders to the ground.

Hesitantly, he smiled, curling his hands into fists and not knowing where to hide them. "Ah… he, um… he left, already."

The exclamations of her friends never made it to her ears, as Ran stared at the Osakan detective, Shinichi's best male friend and confidant. His brow was darkly furrowed, his eyes glimmering fiercely, as he uneasily stood before them. He seemed as despairing as she was disconsolate.

Heiji's gaze met hers, with an alleviating tension and a growing compassion that made the girl wonder what her expression could possibly look like. "I'm sorry, neechan…"

* * *

Mouri Ran marched down the cold, empty street, the wind burning her rosy cheeks and chilling her bare legs. Numbly, she reached for a lock of hair swirling over her eyes, and slid it behind her ear, before fiercely hugging herself from the wind and glowering at the ground.

Stupid detective geek.

He always did the same thing. Always elevated her hopes to the sky, and one way or another, either insensitively or obliviously managed to crush them.

She should've known better. The moment she witnessed his silhouette in that club, his calm and composed figure striding towards her in the dark, she should've stopped her racing heart and cooled her flushing cheeks and known better. She should've grasped the opportunity to confess to him, or beat some sense into him, or do _something_, because she should've known and expected that he would jump into another case the first moment he got. Neither whispering nor holding hands nor blushing profusely would ever change that.

And she certainly should've known better when he apathetically shut that door on their faces, and locked himself with two bombs, that she wouldn't catch a glimpse of him again that night. He would leave without even offering a goodbye.

_What an idiot…_ Ran thought over and over again, the phrase drumming through her mind.

_What a dumb, stupid, insensitive, geeky idiot…_

Her brows furrowed firmly, as her eyes slowly glimmered with tears.

Why?

Why was it always the same? She couldn't fathom why he never remained in a single place. Why he kept hopping about in the search for a case, and never just stopped for a moment, and sat down, and calmed down, and took a single breath. It seemed he wanted to. At times, by the quiet warmth of his gaze, or by the manner in which his palm touched her arm, or his fingers embraced her own, it really seemed like he wanted to stay.

He never did.

She was back to wondering if something was wrong. If something bad was happening to him.

If that was why he'd looked so solemn tonight, and Hattori-kun so desperate…

Ran frowned at the ground, puffing warm breaths into her cupped hands before squeezing herself again.

She could barely remember what happened after Hattori-kun announced Shinichi had left. Everything — the music returning, the lights dimming, the candlelights of the birthday cake extinguishing into darkness, the subsequent resumption of the festivities — seemed to elapse through a bewildered haze and still remained foggy to Ran as she walked down the desolate street. She could barely recall Kazuha-chan and Hattori-kun separating from them following the conclusion of the party, saying they had the day's final flight to catch. She did remember Kazuha-chan's words as they hugged goodbye, however, her eyes sympathetically wide and doleful.

_"I hope the daruma will work better next time…"_

Ran had smiled at her genuinely. _"I didn't add an eye to it yet. So the prayer technically hasn't been made, and it's not the daruma's fault…"_ she assured the girl, and after sharing supportive smiles, they parted ways.

_Not the daruma's fault…_ her mind muttered pensively, her brow furrowing gently as her gaze darkened into a glower. _Just a stupid detective geek's fault… who concerns himself minimally with our friendship… or relationship._ She blushed. _Or whatever it is we have! I don't know… _A shiver shook the girl's spine as another wind gust chilled her bones. _A__nd just why did I even bother putting on this stupid dress in the first place, on a cold night like this one? And letting Sonoko tie up my hair, and put eyeshadow on me? When the person I'm theoretically trying to impress won't even say goodbye before he leaves, or even offer a nod? Why go through all this trouble just to have a door slammed on my face by a mystery-loving geek?_

_Grrm…_

She grew redder, and squeezed her eyes shut. She was going to burst.

_Baka. _

_BAKA, BAKA, BAKA!_

And she was absolutely the stupidest of them both!

"Ran."

The girl blinked and glanced to her left, finding Sonoko staring and Masumi-chan gaping in perturbation. She remembered then, how hesitant Hattori-kun had been on departing straight to the airport, and his inexplicable insistence on walking her home, to the point where he expressed his willingness to miss his and Kazuha-chan's last flight to Osaka just to ensure her safe return; his madness was solely dissuaded by Masumi-chan's unexpected oath to not allow her a walk home alone, and Sonoko merely seconded the promise.

Under her friends' scrutiny, Ran blinked repeatedly and smiled with chagrin. "I—yes?"

"Are you all right?" wondered Masumi-chan, observing her with genuine concern.

Sonoko grinned sardonically. "You looked ready to beat someone up just now."

"What were you thinking of?"

Ran blushed, embarrassed by her thought patterns. Shinichi had circulated through her head all day, one way or another. "N-nothing important…"

Suzuki Sonoko lowered her perspicacious eyes and smirked slyly, before turning back to Sera. "Rule of thumb: if Ran says 'nothing,' it usually means Shinichi-kun."

"Sonoko!"

"Really?" muttered the boyish girl curiously.

"So! Don't think you can get away without telling me. What happened between you two earlier?" Sonoko had lowered her voice, and she was grinning that grin again while prodding her in the ribs, to the girl's red-faced dismay. "He took you to that solitary room. And? What did he say to you? He didn't do anything dirty to you, did he?"

Ran blushed furiously. "Of course not, Sonoko! What are you talking about! Shinichi's not like that!"

"Well, after that London incident, there's no telling what he might do! Hohoho!" she exclaimed beneath her hand.

"Hm?" Sera frowned perplexedly. "London incident? Why, what happened in London?"

"Nothing happened in London!" Ran roared at the shocked detective, her cheeks aflame.

"If Ran says nothing happened, it usually means something especially juicy happened."

"Sonoko!"

"And 'Sonoko' means 'quit telling the truth.'"

The two girls shared a chuckle as Ran stumbled with shame, her face a fiery crimson by the time they arrived before the agency's steps. Sonoko glanced at the limousine parked a few meters beyond Poirot, its red lights glowing in the dark. "There's my ride. You coming with me, Sera-san?"

"Ah…" The girl faltered, her eyes darting involuntarily to Ran and the brightly lit windows of the agency above. "Maybe I should stay with Ran-chan for a bit. After the bombs in that club, there's no telling if there'll be anything waiting for her at home."

"Eh?" Ran frowned perplexedly. "Masumi-chan thinks those bombs were targeted at me, and not the club in general?"

"Ah, no, I meant!" The female detective panicked and nervously grinned. "Since you were gone from home for most of the evening, there's no telling if anyone strange came by your house and left something suspicious behind… or something."

"But… my father stayed home while we were at the party… I'm sure no one strange could've gotten inside…" Ran suddenly smiled with confidence. "Besides, had anybody done so, I'm sure he would've figured it out by now. He is a detective after all."

"I… I guess…" Sera Masumi offered a sheepish smile. "It was just a thought…"

"Enough about thoughts, and detectives, and bombs, I'm ready to go home!" groaned Suzuki Sonoko with a glower, hopping on one spot. "It's too damn cold…"

"I know! I'll let you guys go, before you freeze to death…" Ran grinned through chattering teeth, hugging herself fiercely as another wind gust swooshed down the street and chilled her to the bone. "Thank you so much for coming tonight!" she chirped with a joyful smile, bowing her gratitude. "And thank you very much for your gifts earlier, you really didn't have to!"

Sera smiled jovially as Sonoko dismissed her words with a playful wave of her hand. "Nah, don't mention it! We had a blast! And the possibility of an actual blast made everything way more exciting… I don't think I'll be able to top your seventeenth party, Ran!"

Laughter and grins were shared as they waved goodbye to each other, the two girls stepping into the car while the third walked up the stairs. Ran lowered her gaze to the steps, careful not to miscalculate a movement with her high heels, and observed her short blue dress glitter in the dark. Her wrist rose to display the hour, and she knew her father would have a fit, both over her late arrival and choice of attire.

She rummaged for the keys inside her purse, hearing their jingle a second before a hand sealed her mouth and an arm wrapped her waist, pulling her into someone's personal space. Ran gaped, defensively bending her knees in the air for a counterattack, just as her offender spoke into her ear.

"Ran."

She froze, and her heart skipped differently.

"Shin—" Ran turned her head, her mouth sliding free from his grasp, and she scowled as her cheeks burned fierily. "You stupid idiot—!"

"Shh!" His palm firmly clasped her mouth again, rendering her speechless. Under his warm hand, with his arm snugly wound around her waist and her back pressed against his chest, Ran grew hotter and redder, becoming flustered by the proximity. He gazed down the stairs, attentively, his breaths soft and warm and quiet against Ran's exposed left shoulder. The girl tried her very hardest not to breathe too irregularly, or blush too heatedly, lest he learn she'd become so agitated so easily.

The car's engine outside grumbled on, and purred for a few moments, before groaning as it turned into the street. It grew quieter as it reached the stop sign at the end of the block, before starting off again and growing quieter as it drove away. The wind gusted down the empty street, coldly, and made Ran's heart race as she realized how warm she had become, and not because she was finally wearing her pajamas in the comfort of her home.

Smoothly, Shinichi's hand gradually eased the pressure over her mouth, but remained against her lips as he slowly allowed her to turn around. His gaze was grave, his eyes widely observant, and responsively, Ran remained silent. Even when his hands slowly, warningly, reached over and patted the hem of her snug dress, and she burned up with embarrassment and felt tempted to speak out; Shinichi's eyes would return to her face, and he'd meaningfully hold her gaze, both wordlessly and reassuringly, as Ran blushingly fell silent. After checking the hems of her dress, he took her bag and rummaged through it, feeling around it as if searching for something, and his eyes gained a sudden glimmer as he touched the leather of the bag, near the zipper. His fingers yanked out a small, black button, which Ran frowned at, having never seen it before.

Shinichi dropped the button to the floor, and crushed it with the heel of his shoe, ensuring it was nicely crumbled before kicking it down the stairs. Ran gaped at it, and back up at him, unsure if she could speak until Shinichi gazed at her, a grin on his face. "You were bugged."

"Bugged? How?"

"I was called earlier, told two bombs had been activated at the club you were celebrating your party. I was told to hurry up or the girl in the blue dress would face her last birthday… that's how I knew… At night, a blue dress would look no different from a black one. No one could've known the color, unless they actually listened to you describe it."

"So…" Ran furrowed her brow, her gaze thoughtful as she watched her surroundings. "Those bombs really were meant for me?"

He failed to respond, and Ran turned to watch him. The dourness had returned to Shinichi's face. In a somber silence, his gaze lowered from her face and he pursed his lips, parting them occasionally as if he were about to speak, yet biting them instead. After a long moment of contemplation, he spoke, murmuringly. "No. They were meant for me… those bombs weren't supposed to actually harm you. They were there to give me a warning."

Ran frowned. "Warning?"

Shinichi smiled. "They want me to back off from an investigation… but I can't possibly do that…"

_So I'll have to back off from you…_

Ran smiled at him, more warmly than teasingly, as her eyes glimmered with pride. "You never abandon a case, do you, Shinichi?"

He smirked, faintly, his lips immediately weakening into a small and sad smile, as he pensively stared at the ground. Ran lost every trace of her mirth as she observed her childhood friend, overcome by the melancholy of his face.

With what seemed like a quiet sigh, Shinichi suddenly straightened his spine and took a closer step towards her, looking taller and more imposing and more alluring to Ran than he ever had. His hand delved into his pocket, only to retrieve a black box, or what seemed like a black box in the dark.

"I…" He seemed to rethink what he wished to say, only for a few moments, before he broke into a smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't be with you at your party earlier…" _I'm gonna have to go away for a while…_ "Here." _Please accept this in the meantime… _He placed the box in her hand, his fingers cold when she accidentally touched them. "Happy seventeenth birthday, Ran." _I'm sorry…_

Genuinely moved, the birthday girl watched him with an affectionate smile, before lowering her gaze to the box, failing to notice his warming cheeks. Her curious eyes were on the box, and as she opened it, they widened.

At first, she thought it was a ridiculously serious gift.

And with a sudden furrow on her brow, and a glance at Shinichi's scarlet face, she gazed back into the box, realizing that it wasn't just a serious gift.

It was a very serious offer.

She reddened into a tomato.

No way Shinichi would do this to her just out of the blue, without any warning, or any intimation, or any hint.

She blushed a hotter shade of crimson.

_Yes. Yes he would._

"Do you… like it?"

Shinichi's hesitant murmur snapped Ran out of her reverie. He was observing her cautiously, attentively, a faint warmth coloring his face as a hopeful glow tenaciously flickered in his eyes. The girl gulped, and blushingly stared at her clammy feet, feeling her face burning too hotly, and her lungs breathing too loudly, and her heart pounding too strongly for her pleasure. She opened her mouth to speak, not knowing what in the hell she was going to say, yet (fortunately, perhaps?) she found her voice locked somewhere under her chest, too nervous to reach her throat.

Shyly, with a fiery redness surpassing every blush that ever warmed her face in her entire life, Ran nodded, her shoulders shrinking involuntarily when a warm, shaky and quiet sigh brushed against her cheek. Diffidently, Ran glanced upward, only to notice Shinichi blushingly divert his gaze to the stairs. His darkened eyes glimmered peculiarly, and his brow remained furrowed, though a suppressed smile was just beginning to tug on his lips.

"You can keep it… if you want…" he muttered lowly, and Ran gazed down at her gift, swallowing anxiously as she pulled the small jewelry from its box. It glinted beautifully between her thumb and forefinger.

"Thank you…" Ran murmured timorously, and with a sudden and unpleasant surge of timidity, she slipped the ring onto her middle finger, blushing bashfully when it refused to cross her minor knuckle. Mumbling her chagrin, she tried another finger, her ears burning as she suffered every unsuccessful second that passed and felt Shinichi's blank stare over her. "T-there…" she whispered, once having successfully jammed the ring through her index finger, and waveringly offered her most self-conscious grin. "T-thanks, Shinichi…"

A long moment of sepulchral silence ensued, before Kudou Shinichi somberly (and blushingly) glowered down at her. "Barou… it doesn't go like that at all. Here." Frowningly, he reached for her palm. "Give me your hand."

Slowly, he attempted to pry the ring off her index finger, though to no avail; it really had been jammed up there. Ran forcefully tried pulling it off herself, reddening at her failure.

"Lick your finger."

Ran blushed feverishly. "I'm not licking it! It's brand new…" she muttered, dolefully gazing at her gift.

"You're gonna have to. Either you're doing it, or I am." A scandalized Ran gaped at Shinichi's scowling, crimson face. "You choose."

Muttering petulantly, Ran slipped her entire index finger into her mouth, ring and all, and watched blushingly as Shinichi took her hand and gradually slid the ring free from her moist knuckle.

Now between Shinichi's fingertips, Ran gazed at the jewelry in wonderment, observing how much more attractive it suddenly appeared in his grasp — so much smaller, the metal thinner and more delicate, more lustrous, the stone faintly glinting. With her heart pounding wildly in her ears, pumping warmer blood to her already burning cheeks, Ran watched him slowly and methodically slide the ring onto her fourth finger — her ring finger — her heart roughly skipping several firm beats as the band smoothly, gently and effortlessly settled there.

Shinichi's hand slipped beneath Ran's palm, both motionless teens becoming numb and light with excitement as they beheld the girl's now adorned hand. He blushed, his heart throbbing when his childhood friend's fingers unexpectedly curled around his own, tightening their hold. With a darkened and deepened gaze, Shinichi sought and found Ran's glimmering eyes, his stare warmly profound and deeply observant as it settled over her, searching for the purest and barest truth from her.

"Will you wait for me?"

The question emerged more formally than other times. Shinichi's whisper had been grave, hesitant, well below his breath; it seemed as though he were nearly ashamed of wondering such a question, and appeared genuinely apprehensive of her answer, though he waited nonetheless, his grip on her hand unwavering.

Ran's cheeks bloomed with warm health, her speech nervously locking somewhere within her chest all over again, as her heart pounded erratically. Her words failed, though she presumed she must've offered some type of response — whether a quiet "Yes," or a brief nod, or a faint hum — for her heart accelerated fiercely as an unmistakably warm smile formed on Shinichi's lips. A smile so genuine, so affectionate, and so sad, Ran felt her knees would buckle.

Ran's knees did buckle when he suddenly leaned forward and pressed a warm kiss to her cheek, her heart soaring gratefully when his arm fortunately wrapped her waist at the same time. His lips were soft, their touch gentle yet firm, and Ran felt a burn in the area they pressed. Sooner rather than later, Shinichi pulled away, his face nonetheless closer than before, and as their faces radiated heat and their breaths mingled shortly, without thinking twice, they slowly and smoothly leaned in.

Another wind gust coldly whistled down the desolate street, swirling gelidly up the unlit stairs, raising goosebumps on a girl's arms. Despite how the cooling night froze her skin, a peculiarly strong and overwhelmingly pleasant heat wave coursed through Ran's body, spreading from her chest, to her face, to her stomach, leaving in its path an intimate tingling behind. She was blushing, the small of her back sweating warmly as Shinichi's hands politely settled there, and pulled her closer against him, her cheeks growing fiercely redder as a musky heat suddenly enveloped her. The kiss became longingly slower then, even gentler, and Ran squeezed her eyes shut, her heart hammering painfully into her ribcage as she felt Shinichi sharply breathe in her scent and lock the oxygen in his lungs. She curled her arms around him, something about that moment — either the heightened intimacy, or the gentleness, or the intensity — giving her the unique and uncanny feeling that he was saying goodbye.

A low and vibrating hum rolled yearningly from Shinichi's mouth, before he pulled away, his lips making a sound when they parted from her own, leaving Ran warm and tingling. He stared intensely at her, his face attractively blushed as he breathed through his mouth. "Lock up tight," he rasped, before turning on his heels and trotting down the stairs, his back straightened, his stride firm, his eyes determined not to glance back.

Ran watched his dark figure march out of her sight, feeling strangely heartened by his resolution. Her bright eyes lowered back to her hand, and gazed at its beautiful ring. The stone, silently confident as it soared from her finger, glinted promisingly at her, even in the dark.

* * *

An indelible marker was deposited on a table, and Mouri Ran proceeded to carefully lift a small, glass sphere by its cord, before hanging it from a hook near her balcony. With rosy cheeks, the seventeen year-old observed her brilliant red daruma with his single beady eye drawn carefully, his plump crystal body clanging softly as it swayed in the cool air. Its rectangular prayer whirled eagerly with a cold, inflowing breeze, swirling feverishly, before the wind settled, and so did the carefully adorned paper. Now fluttering smoothly, its message appeared, in meticulous calligraphy.

**_DETECTIVE GEEK_**

And slowly, it twirled, gradually revealing the prayer's reverse.

_**A safe, swift, and sound return**_

Ran admired her charm and its gentle sound, quietly yet faithfully clicking the prayer into the night sky, reminding the wind of her wishes.

That night, she clicked her golden lamp off, snuggling into her cold futon and pulling the comforter far over her nose, as she blushed, her lips still tingling with the memory of Shinichi. Her large eyes observed the daruma fuurin's round silhouette, with its prayer dancing smoothly in the wind, and later her gaze turned to the drab ceiling, realizing full well that her eyes glimmered too lustrously, and her mind buzzed too excitedly, and her young heart raced too passionately, and her cheeks glowed too hotly to achieve any sleep. A fortitude swelled within her chest then, warming her body soothingly and confidently, as she arrived upon a single and indubitable truth.

She would wait.

When it came to Kudou Shinichi, it wouldn't make any sense_ not_ to do so.

With her cheeks rosy, and a pleasurably resolved smile adorning her lips, Ran closed her eyes, unaware that her spherical, one-eyed charm would hold her to her word, and flutter in the wind for many more years to come.


End file.
